NEIL3 and atherosclerosis: It was demonstrated in 2016 that the susceptibility of Apoe-/-Neil3-/- mice to atherosclerosis might be related to the following two factors [96]: (1) Apoe-/-Neil3-/- affected lipid metabolism, resulting in significant elevation of hepatic TG, total fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid levels; (2) Apoe-/-Neil3-/- induced macrophage infiltration in plaques and reduced cholesterol efflux capacity of macrophages by downregulating ABC transporter protein, leading to uneven lipid distribution [96].