Plaque-size analysis of cross-sections of carotid artery specimens obtained from Ad.empty- and Ad.hVEGF-A–treated ApoE^−/− mice. Error bars represent standard deviation (n = 10-12). (A) Plaque sizes of Ad.hVEGF-A–treated compared with that of Ad.empty control mice are significantly increased by 49% (P = .03). (B) Ad.hVEGF-A–treated plaques (right panel) showed higher expression of the transgene at 10 days after transduction than Ad.empty-treated plaques. Please note that expression is largely confined to the intima and diffuse with a higher density in the cap region. (C) Hematoxylin/eosin staining of a typical Ad.empty– and Ad.hVEGF-A–treated atherosclerotic plaque. Error bars indicate standard deviation (SD).