Effect of intensive α-GalCer administration on the late phase of atherosclerosis. ApoE^-/- mice were injected weekly with α-GalCer or vehicle for a period of 11 weeks and examined for atherosclerosis at 19 weeks of age. (A) Mean lesion areas of each group are indicated as in Figure 4A. (B) Proportions of the oil red O-positive area to the whole lumen of the entire aorta were assessed by the en face method. (C) Representative histology of aortic sections from the α-GalCer group (top) or the control group (bottom) (Elastica-Masson staining). The collagen content is stained as blue in the lesion. Note that the blue region (arrowheads) in the α-GalCer-treated mouse is smaller than that in the control mouse. Original magnification, × 40. (D) Morphometric analysis of collagen contents of the atherosclerotic lesion. Mean lesion areas staining blue were quantitated with 3 aortic cross-sections per animal from a total of 10 animals. Statistical analyses were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. ^*P < .05. (E) Total cell numbers per cross-section of lesion area. Values are mean ± SE. ^**P < .01.