GCA^pos TAI grafts have increased vascular inflammatory lesion (VIL) thickness when compared to GCA^neg TAI; Serpin treatment reduces intimal thickness.

<p>H & E stained cross sections of TAI engrafted SCID mouse aorta at 4 weeks follow up; (A) GCA^neg TAI graft saline treated, (B) GCA^pos TAI saline treated, (C) GCA^neg section, Serp-1 treated, (D) GCA^pos section, Serp-1 treated. Invading mononuclear cells in TAI engrafted aortic cross sections in mice after PBMC infusion at 4 weeks: (E) GCA^neg cross section, Saline treated, (F) GCA^pos section, Saline treated, (G) GCA^neg, Serp-1 treated. (H) GCA^pos Serp-1 treated. (I) Bar graphs of mean intimal/ medial (I/M) thickness ratios (± SE) for TAI grafts. GCA^pos TAI with Saline treatment have increased VIL. I/M are significantly reduced with Serp-1 (p = 0.005). (J) Inflammatory cell counts are significantly reduced with Serp-1 treatment in GCA^pos implants after PBMC transfusion (p ≤ 0.041; n = 3 each for GCA^neg and ^pos). (K) When the GCA^pos and GCA^neg data are combined, mean I/M thickness ratios are significantly reduced in Serp-1 treated mice when compared to Saline and PBMC/Saline groups (P ≤ 0.011 and 0.039, respectively; n = 5–10). (L) The mean mononuclear cell counts in combined GCA^pos and GCA^neg data was significantly reduced in mice treated with Serp-1 after PBMC transfusion but not without PBMC, when compared to controls (p ≤ 0.046; n = 5–10). (I—intima, M—media, A—adventitia, S—suture. Arrow—inflammatory cell. Mag-100–200X).