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. 2024 Oct 4;10(40):eadn8760. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn8760

Fig. 2. Plasma TRAIL levels are reduced in PAD, associating with reduced microvessel numbers with increasing ischemia.

Fig. 2.

Plasma (A) TRAIL and (B) TRAIL-R2 levels in PAD versus healthy individuals (n = 11 to 12 per group). (C) Schematic illustrating tissue harvest locations from below-knee amputations. (D) Stable microvessel numbers in nonischemic and ischemic regions of amputated tissues. Left: Representative image of stable microvessels (CD31+SMA+, yellow arrows). Laminin (myocytes, white), CD31 (ECs, red), and SMA (pericytes, green); scale bars, 20 μm. Middle: Microvessel quantification. Right: Myocyte number is reduced with ischemia (n = 3 per group). (E) Myography showing impaired endothelial function in arteries isolated from nonischemic versus ischemic regions. Left: Arterial relaxation in response to increasing doses of acetylcholine (ACh). Right: No change in sodium nitroprusside (SNP)–mediated relaxation (n = 5 per group). (F) Trail and (G) Nox4 mRNA expression in patient tissues (n = 5 per group). mRNA normalized to β-actin. Results are means ± SEM; Mann-Whitney U test, paired t test, or two-way ANOVA; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, and ****P < 0.0001.