Figure 6.

DKO plaques contain M2‐polarized macrophages. Representative images of CD68 (macrophages), iNOS (M1), and Arg‐1 (M2) staining in DKO and Apoe^−/− plaques; scale bar=100 μm. Staining score: 3 sections from each plaque were stained for iNOS or Arg‐1. Staining was scored on a 0 to 3 scale (see Methods) for each protein and the averages plotted; each symbol represents the average score from 1 plaque. Group ranks were significantly different (iNOS lower, and Arg‐1 higher, in DKO plaques) by Mann–Whitney's nonparametric test; *P<0.05. (B) Expression of IL‐10, TGF‐β, and TNF‐α in plaques was quantified by qRT‐PCR. Data are presented as mean±SEM for 4 (Apoe^−/−) or 5 (DKO) plaques. There were no significant differences between genotypes (independent sample t test). Apo indicates apolipoprotein; Arg‐1, arginase 1; DKO, double knockout; IL, interleukin; iNOS, inducible nitric oxide synthase; qRT‐PCR, quantitative real time‐polymerase chain reaction; TGF‐β, transforming growth factor beta; TNF‐α, tumor necrosis factor alpha.