Animal models of atherosclerosis

Figure 1 Representative photomicrographs taken at aortic root from apolipoprotein E-knockout (A), low density lipoprotein-r-knockout (B) and their wild-type background C57BL/6J (C) mice. A: Advanced atherosclerosis lesions in all 3 valves of the aortic root (arrow); these lesions are composed of numerous cholesterol clefts (curved arrows); B: Illustrating lipid-rich atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic root; the arrow head points to an atherosclerotic plaque primarily composed of apparent foam cells. No cholesterol cleft is visible in B; C: Demonstrating an atherosclerotic-lesion-free aortic root with normal-looking vascular wall (arrow) with apparent intact elastic lamina and endothelium. Trichrome staining; × 40.