Patent ID: 8021644

Claim:
A method of assessing an effect of a drug agent on atherosclerosis in a living system, the method comprising a) administering one or more isotopically labeled cholesterol molecules, isotopically labeled cholesterol molecules in high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, or isotopically labeled cholesterol precursors to the living system; b) obtaining one or more isotopically labeled cholesterol molecules from plasma or plasma HDL in the living system; c) measuring an isotopic content, isotopic pattern, rate of change of isotopic content, or rate of change of isotopic pattern of the isotopically labeled cholesterol molecules; d) calculating a rate of dilution by endogenous unlabeled cholesterol of the administered isotopically labeled cholesterol molecules, isotopically labeled cholesterol molecules in high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, or isotopically labeled cholesterol precursors to determine a rate of a first arm of reverse cholesterol transport in the living system; e) administering said drug agent to said living system; and f) determining a rate of a first arm of reverse cholesterol transport in the living system according to steps a) through d) after said administering step e), wherein a difference in the rate of the first arm of reverse cholesterol transport before and after administration of said drug agent to the living system identifies the effect of the drug agent on atherosclerosis.