Caspase-3 Deletion Promotes Necrosis in Atherosclerotic Plaques of ApoE Knockout Mice

Figure 3

Caspase-3 deficiency in macrophages triggers a switch to necrosis in response to the atherosclerosis-related stimulus oxLDL. BMDM were isolated from Casp3^+/+ApoE^−/− (Casp3^+/+) and Casp3^−/−ApoE^−/− (Casp3^−/−) mice and treated with oxLDL (25–75 μg/mL). Necrosis was monitored by (a) morphological analysis (necrotic cells were characterized by cellular oncosis (black arrows) while apoptotic cells showed membrane blebbing (open arrowhead)) (scale bar: 25 μm (BMDM)) and (b) PI labeling ( independent experiments with 2 counting regions of 150 cells/region in duplicate; ^### and ^## versus 0 μg/mL; versus Casp3^+/+; factorial ANOVA with genotype and treatment as category factors; Dunnett post hoc).

(a)

(b)