Fig. 5: Analysis of the vulnerability index of carotid plaque. | Nature Communications

Fig. 5: Analysis of the vulnerability index of carotid plaque.

From: Neutrophil elastase-activatable ratiometric photoacoustic nanoprobes for imaging atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability

Fig. 5

a Immunofluorescent staining (Ly6G), and Oil red O staining for each group of mice. Dashed line represents the plaque. b Ly6G immunofluorescence quantitative analysis of each group of mice (n = 3 mice per group). c Oil red O staining quantitative analysis of each group of mice (n = 3 mice per group). d Immunofluorescent staining (F4/80 and α-SMA), H&E staining, and Sirius red staining for each group of mice. Dashed line represents the plaque. e–h Quantitative analysis of macrophages, smooth muscle cells, necrotic cores, and collagen fibers proportion for each group (n = 3 mice per group). i Vulnerability index of each group via the vulnerability formula (n = 3 mice per group). Data are presented as the mean ± SD. Statistical significance was determined using a two-tailed Student’s t-test for pairwise comparisons and one-way ANOVA analysis of variance for multiple groups. p values  >  0.05 were considered non-significant, while p values  <  0.05 were considered statistically significant. p values are indicated on the graphs.

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