Fig. 6: Effect of metformin on advanced atherosclerotic plaques in ApoE KO mice.

a, b DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) images of whole mouse body compositions in the ApoE KO, ApoE, KO + high-fat diet (HFD), and ApoE KO + HFD + Met groups. Changes in total body and abdominal fat density levels. The results are expressed as the means ± SEs of 14 mice. c Stereomicroscopic photographs of aortic arches in the ApoE KO, ApoE KO + HFD, and ApoE KO + HFD + Met groups. The dotted circles indicate the region of the aortic arch with a prominent lesion (scale bar = 2 mm). d En face oil red O (red) image revealing the ascending region of whole aortas from mice fed an HFD for 16 weeks and the density of the ORO-positive area in en face images (n = 4, Scale bar = 5 mm). e En face SAβG staining (blue) of the ascending region in whole aortas (n = 4, Scale bar = 5 mm). f H&E staining was conducted to determine the volumes of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinuses of ApoE KO mice (n = 3, scale bar = 100 μm). g, h Representative images of aortic sinuses stained for collagen fibers (Sirius red and Masson’s trichrome stain) (n = 3, Scale bar = 30 μm). Representative results are shown, and the values are the means ± SEs. NS not significant.