Fig. 8: Parkin overexpression rescues MVP deficiency-induced endothelial apoptosis and mitophagy arrest.

A Parkin overexpression on LC3B expression in the MVP knockdown HUVECs treated by CCCP (10 μM) (n = 3, independent biological replicates). B Parkin overexpression on Caspase3 and cleaved-Caspase3 expression in the MVP knockdown HUVECs treated by TNF-α (10 μg/ml) (n = 3, independent biological replicates). C Schematic illustration of Parkin overexpression in carotid artery-ligated Mvp^ECKO mice. Six-week-old male Mvp^ECWT and Mvp^ECKO mice were intravenously injected by the EC-driven adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector encoding Parkin after tamoxifen induction. Seven days after AAV injection, left common carotid arteries were ligated for 28 days. The figure is created using BioRender. Jiang B. (2025) https://BioRender.com/r5jpwb7. D Representative H&E and EVG staining images of the ligated carotid arteries. Scale bar, 50 μm. E Quantifications of neointima area, intima to media ratio, lumen area, and media area of ligated carotid arteries in (D) (n = 6). F Representative images of TUNEL and CD31 staining of the ligated carotid arteries. Scale bars, 20 μm. G Percentage of apoptotic ECs in total ECs in the ligated carotid arteries (n = 5). H Representative IF staining images of COXIV (red), LC3B (purple), and CD31⁺ ECs (green) in the ligated carotid arteries. Scale bar = 20 μm. I Percentage of LC3B⁺COXIV⁺ ECs in total ECs in the ligated carotid arteries (n = 5). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical significances are assessed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc test (A, B, E, G, I). ns, no significance. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.