Figure 7.

Mechanisms by which Axl regulates carotid intima-media thickening, with known effects of Axl on survival during carotid intima-media thickening (blue) and new mechanisms of Axl-dependent immune activation of non-BM cells, cytokine/chemokine expression, and inhibition of Col I expression in the remodeled carotids (orange). Synthetic VSMCs are indicated in purple; contractile VSMCs are indicated in red. BM, bone marrow; Col I, collagen Iα; EEL, external elastic lamina; IEL, internal elastic lamina; MHC II, major histocompatibility complex class II; VSMC, vascular smooth muscle cell.