Journal: Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

Article Title: Sex-specific lymphatic responses to estrogen shape atherosclerosis in high-risk mice

doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2026.1699372

Figure Lengend Snippet: VEGF-C 152s treatment prior to ovariectomy limited the negative effects of subsequent E2 supplementation on lymphatic function and plaque burden in ldlr −/− mice. (A) Experimental design. 7 weeks old Ldlr −/− female mice received IP injections of VEGF-C 152s (e.g., VEGF-C) or vehicle. At 11 weeks, mice underwent either bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery, and switched on a high-fat diet (HFD). Estrogen (E2) supplementation began one week later. Lymphatic function was assessed in mice immediately prior to sacrifice at 20.5 weeks, after which organs were harvested. Green, orange and pink dashed lines represent VEGF-C 152s injections, HFD, and E2 implant durations, respectively. (B) Total body weight at the time of sacrifice and (C) over 21 weeks were reported. (D) Weight of visceral adipose tissue and (E) weight of the uterus, each expressed as percentage of total body weight. (F) Plasma total cholesterol and, (G) lipoprotein profile were assessed. (H) Contraction frequency of the popliteal collecting lymphatic vessels was measured by intravital microscopy. (I) Representative images of en face oil-red-O staining of the aorta and quantification of atherosclerotic plaque burden, expressed as percentage of total aortic area. Data points represent individual animals. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001. HFD, high-fat diet; OVX, ovariectomy; VEGF-C, vascular endothelial growth factor C; CM, chylomicron; VLDL, very-low density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein.

Article Snippet: Mice received intraperitoneal (IP) injections of VEGF-C (152s) at a dose of 50 ng per 25 g of body weight [purified recombinant rat VEGF-C protein (152s), Fitzgerald, catalog no. 30R-AV006-22] or vehicle control (phosphate-buffered saline, PBS), administered three times per week for four consecutive weeks.

Techniques: Clinical Proteomics, Intravital Microscopy, Staining