Table 2. Effects of 31 μl of PJ per day or placebo on atherosclerosis progression in hypercholesterolemic mice fed a high-fat diet.

	PJ group (n = 12)			Placebo group (n = 12)
	HV	LP	HP	HV	LP	HP
	Protocol 1
Atherosclerosis (lesion area × 103 μm2)	1.78 ± 0.53	12.98 ± 1.86†	105.99 ± 20.58‡	1.95 ± 0.43	18.64 ± 1.55	134.72 ± 18.68
F4/80 immunostaining (% of positive sections)	4 ± 2	25 ± 8‡	48 ± 18‡	5 ± 2	33 ± 9	56 ± 24
MDA-2 immunostaining (% of positive sections)	8 ± 3‡	25 ± 8†	53 ± 20‡	13 ± 6	56 ± 18	75 ± 25
			Protocol 2
Atherosclerosis (lesion area × 103 μm2)	2.09 ± 0.78	23.90 ± 2.55*†	151.56 ± 20.13*†	2.81 ± 0.86‡	29.96 ± 2.44†	187.89 ± 34.11†
F4/80 immunostaining (% of positive sections)	7 ± 4‡	32 ± 10*‡	59 ± 23*‡	9 ± 3†	41 ± 12‡	74 ± 25†
MDA-2 immunostaining (% of positive sections)	6 ± 3§	32 ± 10§	60 ± 21*	18 ± 5	62 ± 20	83 ± 28

In protocol 1, one group of 3-month-old mice received PJ in drinking water for 4 weeks before the disease was accelerated by a fatty diet and then continued on PJ for an additional 24 weeks. In protocol 2, another group of mice was first allowed to develop the disease for 6 months and then was given PJ in drinking water for up to an additional 24 weeks. In both protocols, the PJ solution diluted in water was given to the treated mice, whereas only water was given to the placebo control groups of mice. Atherosclerotic lesion area and both the number of F4/80 and MDA-2 positive arterial section were assessed by computer-assisted imaging analysis, as described in Materials and Methods. P, significance by Bonferroni's corrected t test. HV, healthy vessel areas; LP, low-prone atherosclerotic areas; HP, high-prone atherosclerotic areas.

^*P < 0.05 vs. respective placebo control group of mice.

^†P < 0.01 vs. respective group in protocol 1.

^‡P < 0.05 vs. respective group in protocol 1.

^§P < 0.01 vs. respective placebo control group of mice.