Figure 3
Transcriptome profiling of rabbit models with aortic atherosclerosis.
(a) Heatmap of DEGs between Chol-fed and normal chow-fed NZW rabbits as well as between WHHL and JW rabbits. The DEGs should have FDR <0.1 in at least one comparison. Log2-fold changes of DEGs are illustrated by gradient colors. The transcriptional changes of Chol-fed and WHHL rabbits were similar in the aorta but distinct in the liver. (b) Strong positive correlation of expression changes in the aorta between Chol-fed and WHHL rabbits. The correlation coefficient was calculated for DEGs in at least one condition. (c) Macrographs of aortas in normal chow-fed, Chol-fed and WHHL rabbits. The aortic lesions are stained red with Sudan IV. Both Chol-fed and WHHL rabbits showed extensive atherosclerotic lesions. (d) Heatmap of representative DEGs responsible for inflammation responses in the aorta. The read counts were log-transformed and normalized across samples. These genes induced inflammatory responses in both Chol-fed and WHHL rabbits compared with the normal controls.
