Table 1. The effect of EC4-Fc on atherosclerotic plaques in the mouse brachiocephalic artery.
| Fc (n = 14) | SNC-Fc (n = 11) | EC4-Fc (n = 13) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaved caspase-3 (% total cells) | 3.5 ± 0.5 | 2.1 ± 0.4* | 1.4 ± 0.2* |
| VSMCs (% total plaque area) | 0.8 ± 0.2 | 2.4 ± 0.6* | 1.8 ± 0.4* |
| Fibrous cap coverage (% total plaque area) | 12.2 ± 3.3 | 18.2 ± 4.4 | 20.3 ± 4.8 |
| Fibrous cap thickness (average) | 65.03 ± 6.7 | 56.38 ± 8.8 | 67.8 ± 5.3 |
| Fibrous cap thickness (minimum) | 10.1 ± 1.0 | 11.6 ± 2.7 | 10.6 ± 1.5 |
| Macrophages (% total plaque area) | 23.6.0 ± 3.8 | 21.6 ± 3.0 | 14.5 ± 2.1* |
| VSMC: macrophage ratio | 0.038 ± 0.009 | 0.056 ± 0.009 | 0.122 ± 0.036* |
| Collagen (% of total plaque area) | |||
| Polarized | 5.69 ± 0.9 | 4.90 ± 1.0 | 5.07 ± 1.0 |
| Brightfield | 50.15 ± 2.4 | 51.14 ± 3.1 | 52.66 ± 2.3 |
| Lipid content (percentage of total plaque area) | 51.09 ± 2.4 | 49.93 ± 3.1 | 49.35 ± 2.4 |
| Necrotic core (percentage of total plaque area) | 35.17 ± 4.0 | 54.38 ± 17.3 | 23.93 ± 5.3 |
Values are presented as mean ± SEM.
*
Indicates significant difference from Fc, analysis of avriance, and Student–Newman–Keuls posttest .
SNC, soluble N-cadherin; VSMC, vascular smooth muscle cell.