Since environmental factors such as diet govern the development of atherosclerosis and glucose intolerance in LDLR-/- mice, we theorized that the nephrectomized LDLR-/- mouse will be a suitable model to elucidate the mechanism by which western diet can influence hypertension, renal dysfunction, glucose intolerance and atherosclerosis. The gene discussed is LDLR; the disease is atherosclerosis.