Diabetes and diabetes-associated lipid abnormalities have distinct effects on initiation and progression of atherosclerotic lesions
J. Clin. Invest. Catherine B. Renard, et al. 114:659 doi:10.1172/JCI17867 [Go to this article.]

Figure 7
The combination of diabetes and cholesterol-rich diet caused occlusion of coronary microvessels and lipid embolism. Blocked coronary arteries and lipid embolism probably caused death in diabetic mice fed cholesterol-rich diets. (A) A Movat’s stained advanced lesion with cholesterol clefts and fibrous cap in the extension of the aortic sinus into the coronary arteries from a diabetic mouse. This mouse died after 11 weeks on the 0.12% cholesterol diet. (B) H&E staining of occluding intramyocardial lesions at the time of death from a diabetic mouse fed the 0.12% cholesterol diet for 11 weeks. (C) An aorta completely occluded by lipid at the time of death from a diabetic mouse fed the 0.5% cholesterol diet for 9 weeks. Analysis of cross sections stained with Oil red O confirmed that the aorta was completely occluded by lipid at a site without a lesion. (D) The same aorta as in C stained with Sudan IV. Scale bars: 100 μm (A); 20 μm (B); and 1 mm (C).