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Figure 1 Effects of Plant Sterols on Endothelial Function and Cerebral Ischemia in Wild-Type Mice

Effect of a 4-week treatment of wild-type mice with normal chow (NC) and NC supplemented with plant sterol ester (PSE). (A) Plasma cholesterol, (B) campesterol, and (C) sitosterol concentrations determined by gas liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; n = 10/group. Aortic segments were isolated, and their functional performance was assessed in organ chamber experiments. (D) Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation induced by carbachol and (E) endothelium-independent vasodilation induced by nitroglycerin (NTG), expressed in percent of maximal phenylephrine-induced vasoconstriction; n = 10/group. Effects of NC + PSE compared with NC on ischemic stroke. Mice were subjected to 30-min filamentous middle cerebral artery occlusion and 72 h reperfusion. (F) Representative examples of 20-µm coronal brain cryostat sections, (G) indirect cerebral lesion volumes, and (H) direct cerebral lesion areas determined on 5 coronal brain sections (2 mm distance from frontal pole) by computer-assisted volumetry; n = 8/group. Values are mean ± SEM; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01.