Fig. 7: A proposed model for the cellular heterogeneity of mouse carotid artery under d-flow.
From: Single-cell RNA-seq reveals cellular heterogeneity of mouse carotid artery under disturbed flow
In normal carotid arteries that blood flow was laminar and parallel to the blood vessel, endothelial cell subpopulations were Klk8hi ECs and Lrp1hi ECs, while smooth muscle cells were VSMC1 and VSMC2 clusters. When exposed to d-flow, the heterogeneity of vascular wall cells was changed compared with normal carotid arteries. New subpopulations, such as Dkk2hi ECs, Cd36hi ECs, and Spp1hi VSMCs, were emerged. Among the infiltrating cell subpopulations, Trem2hi Mφ, Birc5hi Mφ, DCs, CD4+ T cells, CXCR6+ T cells, NK cells, and granulocytes were identified under d-flow.
