Figure 1.

Schematic cross section of an atherosclerotic vessel with a large plaque, lipid core, and intraplaque vasa vasorum sprouting from the adventitial vasa vasorum network. Panel A shows the normal structure of the vasa vasorum with tight gap junctions. Panel B shows newly formed vasa vasorum with increased endothelial gap junctions, pericyte loss and expression of cellular adhesion molecules, the extravasation of erythrocytes1 and their consequent destruction, the adhesion and extravasation of monocytes2 and their subsequent transformation to macrophages and resultant foam cells and the direct extravasation of lipids.3 These factors cause growth of the lipid core of the atherosclerotic plaque