The adventitia and atherogenesis: removal initiates intimal proliferation in the rabbit which regresses on generation of a ‘neoadventitia’

Abstract Removal of the carotid artery adventitia from rabbits induced the formation of an intimal hyperplastic lesion. In rabbits fed a normal diet, the lesion (measured as the intimal:medial ratio) was maximal by day 14 (0.456 ± 0.079, n = 5, P n = 14) by day 28 (0.080 ± 0.025, n = 7, P = 0.14). In rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet, the lesion was again maximal by day 14 (0.376 ± 0.056, n = 8, P n = 8, P