Analysis of atherosclerosis.

(A) Oil red O staining of atherosclerotic lesions in aortic arch and carotid arteries of 52-week-old mice on normal chow. Atherosclerosis of the distal common carotid and carotid bifurcation is markedly diminished in the PAI-1^−/−/apoE^−/− mice compared to PAI-1^+/+/apoE^−/− mice, whereas atherosclerosis involving the aortic arch appears similar. Arrows show aortic arch (vertical) and carotid bifurcation (horizontal). (B) Quantitation of aortic and carotid arterial atherosclerosis in 52-week-old PAI-1^−/−/apoE^−/− mice (n = 8) (■) and PAI-1^+/+/apoE^−/− mice (n = 6) (▧) on normal chow. *P < .0003, #P > .1. (C) Cross-sectional area of atherosclerotic lesions in 30-week-old PAI-1^−/−/apoE^−/− (n = 10) and PAI-1^+/+/apoE^−/− mice (n = 7) maintained on normal chow and in 52-week-old PAI-1^−/−/apoE^−/− (n = 9) and PAI-1^+/+/apoE^−/− mice (n = 6) maintained on normal chow. Intima-to-media (I/M) ratio in PAI-1^−/−/apoE^−/− mice (■) and PAI-1^+/+/apoE^−/− mice (▧). *P < .01, **P < 2 × 10⁻⁸. (D) Quantification of lesion area in 18-week-old PAI-1^−/−/apoE^−/− mice (n = 5) (■) and PAI-1^+/+/apoE^−/− mice (n = 5) (▧) on high-fat chow. *P < .05, #P > .2. (E) I/M ratios in PAI-1^−/−/apoE^−/− mice (n = 5) (■) and PAI-1^+/+/apoE^−/− mice (n = 5) (▧) on high-fat chow. *P < .05, #P > .1.