TRAF-STOP Treatment Reduces the Progression of Established Atherosclerosis and Induces a Stable Plaque Phenotype
(A) Twenty-two-week-old male Apoe−/− mice were fed a normal chow diet and were injected for 6 weeks with TRAF-STOP 6877002 (n = 12), 6860766 (n = 11) (10 μmol/kg/day in 200 μl of vehicle), or vehicle control (phosphate-buffered saline, 0.05% Tween 80, 5% dimethylsulfoxide) (n = 11). (B) Atherosclerotic plaque area of established lesions of the aortic arch had decreased after TRAF-STOP treatment; representative pictures of plaques of the brachiocephalic trunk (scale bar = 100 μm). TRAF-STOP treatment decreases the amount of Mac3+ macrophages (scale bar = 100 μm) (C), the fraction of Ki67+ proliferating cells (scale bar = 50 μm) (D), and the lipid core content of the atherosclerotic plaque (scale bar = 100 μm) (E), and increases the percentage of SR+ plaque collagen content (scale bar = 100 μm) (F) showing that TRAF-STOP treatment not only slows down the progression of established atherosclerotic plaques, but also induces atherosclerotic plaque stabilization. HE = hematoxylin and eosin. *p < 0.05.