LDLR and coronary atherosclerosis: SR-BI∆CT/∆CT mice have a milder phenotype than SR-BI KO.31 Furthermore, Shamsuzzaman et al. showed that SR-BI∆CT/∆CT/Ldlr-/- mice fed a Western diet for 26 weeks develop severe coronary atherosclerosis and exhibit high mortality rates, due to spontaneous plaque rupture with myocardial infarction and stroke.22 Since we were interested in developing a model of early atherosclerosis and wanted to avoid spontaneous infarcts from occurring and impacting the infarct study, we used SR-BI∆CT/∆CT/Ldlr-/- mice and fed them for a shorter period of 6-week HFD.