Figure 5

Hypercholesterolemia promotes increased levels of aortic CD90⁺IFN-γ ⁺ NK cells in Ldlr^−/− mice. (A–C) Ldlr^−/− mice were fed chow or high-cholesterol diet for 10 weeks (n = 7–8). Aortas were pooled (n = 3–4 aortas/pool), digested, stimulated with PMA/ionomycin/Brefeldin A and analyzed by flow cytometry for CD90⁺ NK cells and IFN-γ⁺ NK cells (A; representative example of two experiments). Comparison of IFN-γ production by CD90⁻ and CD90⁺ aortic NK cells (B). Stimulated aortic cells were gated for CD45.2⁺IFN-γ⁺ and analyzed for CD90 and NK1.1 and showing representative spleen and aorta from high-cholesterol diet fed mice (C). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.