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Figure 1 In Vivo Effect of Everolimus-Eluting Stents on Diet-Induced Atherosclerotic Plaques in the Infrarenal Aorta of Hypercholesterolemic Rabbits

Photomicrographs of polymer control-stented arteries (A and C) and everolimus-stented arteries (B and D) stained for RAM-11 (A and B; brown = macrophages [M]) and -smooth muscle cell (SMC) actin (C and D; brown = SMC). Stent struts (S) were separated from the media (M) by plaque tissue (P). Polymer control-stented plaques contained abundant M, whereas everolimus-stented plaques showed a marked reduction of the macrophage content, with preservation of the SMC content. Scale bar = 20 µm. (E) Quantification of M and SMC around the stent struts. The strut circumference surrounded by M was significantly decreased in everolimus-stented plaques (***p < 0.001 vs. polymer control), whereas the strut circumference surrounded by SMC was unaffected (p = 0.64). (F) The RAM-11–positive area in the plaque was lowest in everolimus-stented plaques (*p < 0.05 vs. polymer control).