Figure 6
Endothelial-specific PRAS40 deficiency promotes atherogenic remodeling in vivo. (a) Schematic diagram of the partial carotid ligation. Arrows indicate direction of blood flow. Red dotted lines represent cross sections for quantitative analyses at indicated predefined distances from the proximal end of the vessel. ECA, external carotid artery; ICA, internal carotid artery; STA, superior thyroid artery; OA, occipital artery (b) Mice with tamoxifen-induced endothelium-specific PRAS40 deficiency (EC-PRAS40-KO) and tamoxifen-treated Cre-negative littermates (WT controls) were continuously exposed to western diet for a total of 10 weeks. Four weeks after partial ligation, left common carotid arteries as well as sham-operated right common carotid arteries were harvested for further analyses. Shown are representative carotid cross sections at five predefined distances from the proximal end of the carotid artery (0 µm, 1000 µm, 2000 µm, 3000 µm, 4000 µm) stained with elastic stain. Scale bars in black 100 µm. (c) Mean intimal cross sectional areas (including plaque and neointima) were quantified at each predefined distance (based on analysis of 4 different animals per genotype). Shown are absolute plaque areas as well as plaque areas in relation to the contralateral sham operated vessel size (area enclosed by external elastic lamina). Data represent mean ± SEM; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001 (two-tailed student’s t-test).
