Differential Interstrain Susceptibility to Vertebrobasilar Dolichoectasia in a Mouse Model

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Fig 1.
Extent of basilar artery dilation in increased distribution in C57BL/6J and SV129 mouse strains after elastase injection.
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Fig 2.
Extent of tortuosity index distribution in C57BL/6J and SV129 mouse strains after elastase injection.
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Fig 3.
Immunostaining of inflammatory cells in the C57BL/6J mouse strain (×40 magnification). Single immunofluorescence staining showing infiltrating CD45+ cells (A, arrows) and macrophages (B, arrows). Double immunostaining of infiltrating cells (CD45+/MAC387+) revealed that the infiltrated inflammatory cells were macrophages (C).
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Fig 4.
Immunostaining of matrix metalloproteinases in C57BL/6J mouse strain (×40 magnification). MMP-9 (A) and MMP-12 (C) were highly expressed in the arterial wall after elastase injection. Elevated expression of MMP-9 was also detected in the infiltrated inflammatory cells (B).
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Fig 5.
A, Gelatin zymography showing expression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the basilar artery of elastase-injected (T) and heat-inactivated elastase-injected (C) C57BL/6J mice. B, Densitometric analysis of MMP activities in the basilar artery.

Table 1:

Success of VBD formation in C57BL/6J and SV129 mouse strains^{^a}

Follow-Up Time Point (Days)	C57BL/6J			SV129			P Value
Follow-Up Time Point (Days)	Total No.	No. Successful	Success Rate (95% CI)	Total No.	No. Successful	Success Rate (95% CI)	P Value
3	7	4	0.57 (0.18–0.90)	5	0	0.00 (0.00–0.52)
7	8	6	0.75 (0.35–0.97)	3	0	0.00 (0.00–0.71)
14	7	4	0.57 (0.18–0.90)	6	0	0.00 (0.00–0.46)
28	5	4	0.80 (0.28–1.0)	5	0	0.00 (0.00–0.52)
Total No.	27	18	0.67 (0.46–0.84)	19	0	0.00 (0.00–0.18)	<.001

↵a Successful VBD was defined as the percentage increase in basilar artery diameter of ≥50% and a tortuosity index of ≥10. The number and proportion of mice showing successful VBD for each strain and time point are displayed. Ninety-five percent Clopper-Pearson CIs are displayed for each estimate. Proportion of successes was compared between strains using the Fisher exact test.