Compositional features of the atherosclerotic lesions.

<p>Quantification of (<b>A</b>) macrophage (CD68+ area), (<b>B</b>) vascular smooth muscle cell (SMA+ area) and (<b>C</b>) total collagen (picrosirius red+ area) content. (<b>D</b>) Quantification of the incidence of intraplaque hemorrhage in Pearls’ Prussian blue stained sections. CD: chow diet; HFD: high fat diet; LCCA: left common coronary artery; LRA: left renal artery; IPH: intraplaque hemorrhages.</p

Summary of features of the plaque destabilization models.

<p>• low •• medium ••• high—n/a</p><p>LCCA: left common coronary artery; LRA: left renal artery; CD: chow diet; HFD: high fat diet; VI: Vulnerability-Index; VI_c: corrected Vulnerability-Index; FC: fibrous cap; NC: necrotic core; IPH: intraplaque hemorrhage.</p><p>Summary of features of the plaque destabilization models.</p

Vulnerability-Index of the lesions in the mouse models of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization.

<p>Vulnerability-Index (VI) was calculated by the relation between analyzed unstable (<i>U</i>) and stable (<i>S</i>) features of the plaque and corrected by the incidence of lesion formation (p, VI_c). Lesions not representing the type II phenotype were scored as zero. SD was not indicated for models with incidence of n = 1 of type II lesions. LCCA: left common coronary artery; LRA: left renal artery; CD: chow diet; HFD: high fat diet. (n = 3–8; p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001 with 1-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s Multiple Comparison test)</p><p>Vulnerability-Index of the lesions in the mouse models of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization.</p

Schematic diagrams and experimental setups of the mouse models of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Model based on the combined partial ligation of LCCA (left) and LRA (right). (<b>B</b>) Model based on the combination of cast placement around LCCA (left) and partial ligation of LRA (right). (<b>C</b>) Model based on the partial ligation of LCCA in combination with the cast placement around the LCCA. (<b>D</b>) Model based on cast placement around the LCCA. LCCA: left common carotid artery; LRA: left renal artery; LECA: left external carotid artery; LICA: left internal carotid artery; LSTA: left superior thyroid artery; CD: chow diet; HFD: high fat diet; Lig.: ligation.</p

Representative carotid cross-sections of studied specimens for the mouse models of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization.

<p>Mice were fed chow diet (CD) or high fat diet (HFD) as indicated. From left to right: LCCA LRA, model based on the combination of partial ligation of LCCA and LRA; LRA Cast, model based on the combined cast placement around LCCA and partial ligation of LRA; LCCA Cast, model based on the partial ligation of LCCA in combination with the cast placement around the LCCA; Cast, model based on cast placement around the LCCA. Red, yellow and green bars represent thrombus, no lesion or atherosclerotic lesion, respectively. Scale bar = 100μm. LCCA: left common carotid artery; LRA: left renal artery; CD: chow diet; HFD: high fat diet.</p

Structural features of the atherosclerotic lesions.

<p>Quantification of (<b>A</b>) intimal area, (<b>B</b>) intima to media ratio, (<b>C</b>) necrotic core size and (<b>D</b>) fibrous cap thickness. Fibrous cap thickness was only measured when necrotic core was present. NC: necrotic core; FC: fibrous cap; CD: chow diet; HFD: high fat diet; LCCA: left common coronary artery; LRA: left renal artery.</p