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Figure 7 Everolimus-Induced Autophagy in Explanted Atherosclerotic Segments Derived From Collar-Treated Rabbit Carotid Arteries

(A) Ultrastructural features of a macrophage in an atherosclerotic plaque of rabbit carotid arteries. (B) In vitro treatment of these atherosclerotic plaques with everolimus (10 µmol/l) for 3 days resulted in autophagic cell death and was characterized by cell shrinkage, depletion of organelles, and presence of large autophagosomes containing membranous whorls and remnants of cytoplasmatic material. (C) Ultrastructural features of a smooth muscle cell (SMC) in atherosclerotic plaques of rabbit carotid arteries. (D) Autophagy was not induced in SMC in atherosclerotic plaques treated with everolimus (10 µmol/l) for 3 days. Scale bar=3 µm. Arrowheads = autophagy vesicles; arrows = myeline figure; L = lipid droplet; N = nucleus.