Fig. 5.
Fortilin deficiency increases MΦ apoptosis and decreases the number of MΦ in atherosclerotic aortae. Red arrows show the MΦ population. A–F: flow cytometric analysis of atherosclerotic aortae from fortilin+/−Ldlr−/−Apobec1−/− and fortilin+/+Ldlr−/−Apobec1−/− mice evaluating the total number of MΦ per milligram of tissue (A and B), the number of live [7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) negative] MΦ (C and D), and the number of apoptotic (annexin V-positive) MΦ in the atherosclerotic aortae (E and F). Three aortae from each of the two genotypes were pooled, microdissected into small pieces, and subjected to enzymatic digestion and density gradient purification. Cells were stained with anti-CD11b-phycoerythrin (MΦ), anti-CD3e-allophycocyanin (T cells), and anti-CD19-allophycocyanin (B cells) antibodies as well as with peridinin chlorophyll protein-Cy 5.5 annexin V and 7-AAD. AU, arbitrary units. n = 2 for all experiments. Each experiment used cells pooled from three mouse aortae. *P < 0.05.