APOE and atherosclerosis: It has also been reported that hepatic hepcidin expression was not increased at any stage of atherosclerosis progression in ApoE–/– or ApoE/ffe mice and that the atherosclerotic plaque size was not increased in mice with elevated macrophage iron by intravenous iron injection (weekly iron sucrose injections for 8 weeks,16 mg iron total) (67).