Following identical experimental conditions, FACS analysis revealed that juvenile rats had higher levels of cd45- [cd34+/kdr+]EPCs/ml than 4 m-old rats regardless of transgenic expression of human cholesteryl ester transfer protein, which induces significant hypercholesterolemia on regular rat chow [8] (Figure 1D). The gene discussed is CETP; the disease is familial hypercholesterolemia.