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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Jan 7.

Published in final edited form as: Circulation. 2019 Dec 30;141(1):42–66. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.041460

Wild-type (WT) mice and Sting^gt/gt mice were unchallenged or challenged with a high-fat diet for 8 weeks and angiotensin II infusion (2000 ng/min/kg) during the last 4 weeks. A, Representative computed tomography angiography (CTA) images of aortas from challenged WT mice showing the presence of AAD in the thoracic and suprarenal aortic segments. B, Representative images of excised aortas showing less aortic damage in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. C, Mean aortic diameters of various aortic segments were smaller in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. The measurements were based on the excised aortas (as shown in B). Asc, ascending; Desc, descending; SR, suprarenal; IR, infrarenal. D, The overall incidences of AAD, severe AAD, and rupture were significantly lower in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. E, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showing improved survival in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice compared with challenged WT mice during the 4 weeks of angiotensin II infusion. F, The incidence of AAD in different aortic segments was significantly lower in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. G, The lower overall AAD incidence in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice was similar in male and female mice. H, Representative hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Verhoeff–van Gieson elastin staining (elastin) of ascending aortic sections showing preserved aortic structure in Sting^gt/gt mice compared with challenged WT mice. The quantification of aortic elastic fiber fragmentation showing less aortic destruction in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. I, Wire myograph analysis of ascending thoracic aortic rings showing a significantly reduced contractile response to phenylephrine in challenged WT mice compared with unchallenged WT mice. Challenged Sting^gt/gt mice exhibited partial preservation of contractile ability. Two-way ANOVA with the Bonferroni post-hoc test was used for pairwise comparisons in (C) and (H). The Fisher exact test was used for (D), (F), and (G). Multi-way analysis of variance with the Holm-Šídák test was used for pairwise comparisons in (I). ***P<0.001. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error of the mean.

Wild-type (WT) mice and Sting^gt/gt mice were unchallenged or challenged with a high-fat diet for 8 weeks and angiotensin II infusion (2000 ng/min/kg) during the last 4 weeks. A, Representative computed tomography angiography (CTA) images of aortas from challenged WT mice showing the presence of AAD in the thoracic and suprarenal aortic segments. B, Representative images of excised aortas showing less aortic damage in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. C, Mean aortic diameters of various aortic segments were smaller in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. The measurements were based on the excised aortas (as shown in B). Asc, ascending; Desc, descending; SR, suprarenal; IR, infrarenal. D, The overall incidences of AAD, severe AAD, and rupture were significantly lower in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. E, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showing improved survival in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice compared with challenged WT mice during the 4 weeks of angiotensin II infusion. F, The incidence of AAD in different aortic segments was significantly lower in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. G, The lower overall AAD incidence in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice was similar in male and female mice. H, Representative hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Verhoeff–van Gieson elastin staining (elastin) of ascending aortic sections showing preserved aortic structure in Sting^gt/gt mice compared with challenged WT mice. The quantification of aortic elastic fiber fragmentation showing less aortic destruction in challenged Sting^gt/gt mice than in challenged WT mice. I, Wire myograph analysis of ascending thoracic aortic rings showing a significantly reduced contractile response to phenylephrine in challenged WT mice compared with unchallenged WT mice. Challenged Sting^gt/gt mice exhibited partial preservation of contractile ability. Two-way ANOVA with the Bonferroni post-hoc test was used for pairwise comparisons in (C) and (H). The Fisher exact test was used for (D), (F), and (G). Multi-way analysis of variance with the Holm-Šídák test was used for pairwise comparisons in (I). ***P<0.001. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error of the mean.