Development of atherosclerotic plaques in LDLR−/− PWT and LDLR−/−PKO mice fed LFD and HFD.

<p><b>A</b> therosclerosis-prone mice (males and females) lacking properdin were fed low fat or high fat diets for 12 weeks. Atherosclerosis burden was assessed in aortae and at aortic roots. (<b>A)</b> lesion burden in aortae identified by Oil Red O staining (stains lipid) was calculated from light microscopic images using NIS elements software (Nikon), (8 per group, mean and IQR), *p<0.05, **p<0.01, intergenotype comparisons were by one way ANOVA with post test. (<b>B</b>) Plaque area within aortic roots measured from histological images (NIS elements), n = 5–8, data are mean and IQR **p<0.01, intergenotype comparisons were by one way ANOVA with post test. (<b>C</b>) Representative Oil Red O images of whole aortae from each group. (<b>D</b>) Visualisation of plaques at the aortic root in each of the groups, arrowhead indicates a large plaque in male LDLR^−/−P^KO, arrows indicate typical plaques in the other mouse groups that were studied.