BS30 Light sheet imaging to analyse the spatial distribution of proteins in atherosclerotic plaques

The mechanisms linking shear stress, endothelial physiology and plaque biology are currently poorly understood, but their elucidation could identify new strategies to reduce plaque growth and rupture. To address this, we use eNOS as high shear stress marker coupled to immunofluorescent staining, optical clearing and light-sheet microscopy, to develop a system for analysing the spatial distribution of proteins in murine plaques and correlate them with local WSS. Results Confocal microscopy of concavity mounted slides revealed strong eNOS staining at the outer curvature of WT mice but significantly reduced staining at the inner curvature (N=5; P Light-sheet microscopy of cleared samples with preserved 3D structure confirmed elevated expression of eNOS at HSS regions of the outer curvature (figure 1A; N=5 WT; P Conflict of Interest Atherosclerosis