Table 2. Atherosclerotic plaque area, lumen area, lumen stenosis (H&E staining), intra-plaque elastin and tunica media elastin content (orcein staining), intra-plaque collagen (sirius red staining) and total average intra-plaque MMP/TIMP positive stain (IHC).
| CΟ (n = 10) | ΑΤ (n = 10) | EX (n = 10) | ΑΤ+EX (n = 10) | ANOVA, post-hoc p values | |
| Aortic Arch PlaqueArea (x103 µm2) | 569.2±156.9 | 414.4±99.2 | 463.2±102.9 | 392.6±84.55 | P2 = .776 P3 = .973 P4 = .519 |
| p = .017 | p = .091 | p = .007 | PA = .007 | ||
| Aortic Arch LumenStenosis (%) | 47.4±13.2 | 34.8±7.8 | 35.1±8.4 | 30.8±4.5 | P2>.999 P3 = .760 P4 = .706 |
| p = .018 | p = .023 | p = .003 | PA = .001 | ||
| Aortic Arch LumenArea (x103 µm2) | 1209.5±165.6 | 1198.8±142.7 | 1326.5±116.1 | 1275.7±177.2 | P2 = .256 P3 = .674 P4 = .878 |
| p = .155 | p = .084 | p = .40 | PA = .220 | ||
| Thoracic Aorta PlaqueArea (x103 µm2) | 119.0±93.3 | 102.4±84.6 | 94.8±90.3 | 93.5±85.6 | P2 = .997 P3 = .996 P4>.999 |
| p = .683 | p = .563 | p = .532 | PA = .912 | ||
| Thoracic Aorta LumenArea (x103 µm2) | 868.4±105.4 | 844.5±120.7.0 | 925.9±123.2 | 872.5±132.0 | P2 = .444 P3 = .954 P4 = .757 |
| p = .644 | p = .277 | p = .939 | PA = .497 | ||
| Abdominal Aorta level1 Plaque Area (x103 µm2) | 758.6±192.6 | 530.8±123.7 | 587.7±125.5 | 473.4±126.8 | P2 = .817 P3 = .812 P4 = .308 |
| p = .006 | p = .030 | p = .001 | PA = .001 | ||
| Abdominal Aorta level1 Lumen Area (x103 µm2) | 1563.8±238.6 | 1521.9±214.6 | 1722.8±211.0 | 1616.5±265.3 | P2 = .236 P3 = .802 P4 = .740 |
| p = .685 | p = .132 | p = .646 | PA = .264 | ||
| Abdominal Aorta level2 Plaque Area (x103 µm2) | 63.4±76.9 | 37.2±35.3 | 74.9±67.2 | 68.7±87.8 | P2 = .625 P3 = .744 P4 = .997 |
| p = .347 | p = .726 | p = 887 | PA = .641 | ||
| Abdominal Aorta level2 Lumen Area (x103 µm2) | 669.1±195.9 | 545.5±154.2 | 620.2±141.7 | 558.6±157.2 | P2 = .738 P3 = .998 P4 = .834 |
| p = .134 | p = .530 | p = .181 | PA = .313 | ||
| Intra-plaque Elastin (%) | 15.57±4.22 | 20.84±2.79 | 20.63±3.4 | 25.24±2.52 | P2 = .999 P3 = .025 P4 = .018 |
| p = .004 | p = .009 | p<.001 | PA<.001 | ||
| Tunica Media Elastin (%) | 34.16±4.6 | 36.04±6.28 | 36.81±4.28 | 33.43±3.82 | P2 = .984 P3 = .626 P4 = .412 |
| p = .455 | p = .199 | p = .704 | PA = .375 | ||
| Intra-plaque Collagen (%) | 19.02±4.05 | 24.68±7.02 | 27.49±9 | 31.14±4.44 | P2 = .765 P3 = .132 P4 = .589 |
| p = .040 | p = .018 | p>.001 | PA = .002 | ||
| Average Total MMPstain (%) | 13.90±1.65 | 10.23±1.44 | 10.01±1.31 | 8.89±1.40 | P2 = .987 P3 = .187 P4 = .325 |
| p<.001 | p<.001 | p<.001 | PA<.001 | ||
| Average Total TIMP stain (%) | 7.66±1.20 | 7.39±1.81 | 8.30±1.25 | 10.43±1.88 | P2 = .569 P3 = .001 P4 = .022 |
| p = .699 | p = .258 | p = .001 | PA<.001 | ||
| Total MMP/TotalTIMP stain ratio | 1.86±0.39 | 1.47±0.49 | 1.21±0.13 | 0.86±0.10 | P2 = .278 P3 = .001 P4 = .050 |
| p = .072 | p<.001 | p<.001 | PA<.001 |
Measurements are based on tissue section histochemistry. Tissues were extracted at experimental week 24, after the therapeutic interventions.
p: p value of differences in variables between each experimental group and control group; PA: significance of variable differences between all groups (one-way ANOVA); P2: significance of differences in variables between groups AT and EX (post-hoc Tuckey HSD test); P3: significance of differences in variables between groups AT and AT+EX (post-hoc Tuckey HSD test); P4: significance of differences in variables between groups EX and AT+EX (post-hoc Tuckey HSD test).