Fig. 1.

The level of circulating HSP70 went through a time-dependent elevation in diet-induced atherosclerotic rats. The rats that had received a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) developed a significant dysregulation in cholesterol metabolism. Higher levels of plasma total cholesterol (a) and plasma LDL (b) occurred from the sixth and the second week in the HCD group rats, n = 10. c Atherosclerotic pathological alterations appeared in the thoracic aorta of rats after 6-weeks of HCD feeding. The time-dependent elevation of circulating HSP70 was identified in the HCD group rats by western blot (d) and ELISA assay (e), respectively, n = 10. Western blot images were digitalized and analyzed by software. The gray density of the band of HSP70 was measured and normalized to the gray density of the tubulin band. ELISA results were shown as boxplots because of the non-normal distribution of HSP70 concentrations. Values in a–d represent mean ± SD. Horizontal lines across each box represent medians of plasma HSP70, while heights of each box represent interquartile ranges of HSP70 distribution in e. *p < 0.05 vs. Ctrl