Characteristics of the cohort.

<p>Characteristics of the cohort.</p

The association between low-grade inflammation and infection.

<p>The association between low-grade inflammation and infection.</p

The association between low-grade inflammation and prescriptions of antimicrobials.

<p>The association between low-grade inflammation and prescriptions of antimicrobials.</p

Qualitative results on bacterial growth from explanted grafts.

Qualitative results on bacterial growth from explanted grafts.</p

Minimum biofilm eradication concentration for MRSA FPR3757.

Minimum biofilm eradication concentration for MRSA FPR3757.</p

Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines checklist.

Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines checklist.</p

Mean relative weight changes post-infection compared to starting weight.

NaCl (n = 8), Vanco (n = 8), Vanco+rif (n = 18), Vanco+tPA (n = 8), Vanco+Rif+tPA (n = 16). Vanco: Vancomycin, Rif: Rifampicin, tPA: tissue plasminogen activator. Symbols are mean values whereas error bars show one standard deviation.</p

Dissemination of infection.

(A) Percentage of animals in each treatment group with infections in the liver, kidney or spleen. The animals could have infection in more than one organ. (B): Percentage of animals in each treatment group with systemic infection (infection in either liver, kidney or spleen). NaCl (n = 8), Vanco (n = 8), Vanco+tPA (n = 8), Vanco+Rif (n = 18), Vanco+Rif+tPA (n = 16). Vanco = Vancomycin, Rif = Rifampicin.</p

Surgical procedure of rat PVGI model.

(a) Anesthetized rat with shaved and exposed chest prior to surgery. (b) Incision with view to the space created between the right sternocleidomastoid and the omohyoid muscle. (c) Common carotid artery exposed and ligated. (d) Blue arrow shows exposed common carotid artery, prior to insertion of graft. (e) Graft inserted in common carotid artery and secured with ligatures. (f) Green arrow shows graft with blood flow inserted in to common carotid artery. (g) Rat post-surgery, with wound closed with sutures.</p

Histological and immunohistochemic images of infected and sterile graft, artery and sorrounding tissue from rats 19 days after insertion.

A: Normal left a. carotis (HE), bar = 250 μm. B: Right a. carotis 19 days after insertion of a vascular graft. Neointima (ni) formation, tunica media atrophy (arrow) and fibrosis of tunica adventitia (HE), bar = 100 μm. C-F: Right a. carotis 19 days after insertion of a vascular graft and inoculation with Staphylococcus aureus. C: Pink fibrin (f) is present within graft lumen. Neutrophil granulocyte (ng) infiltration, broken elastic bands (arrow) and surrounding macrophages and collagen producing fibroblasts (HE), bar = 200 μm. D: Masson trichrome staining to identify collagen in blue, bar = 200 μm. E: Red S. aureus positive bacteria located on fibrin within graft lumen (IHC), bar = 100 μm. F: Red S. aureus positive bacteria located on the vessel surface towards the graft. Insert shows red positive bacteria within a macrophage (IHC), bar = 80 μm.</p