Transfection of ΔDEP leads to increased neointima thickening in stented aortic grafts. Thoracic aortas from C57BL/6J mice were cannulated with a balloon angioplasty catheter and inflated to eight atmospheres for 30 s followed by insertion of a 2.5 × 6–mm metal stent as described in Materials and methods. (A) OCT cross-sectional (top) and longitudinal (bottom) images of the grafts transfected with WT (left) and ΔDEP (right) Dvl were obtained, and intimal thickening was quantified. Values are expressed as percentages of the intimal area measured by comparing the cross-sectional area of the intima relative to the cross sectional area of the stent. The cross-sectional area of the intima is measured as the region above the white stent struts that protrude into the lumen. Yellow lines identify the center of the source for the infrared light in the OCT catheter. Bar, 200 µm. (B) Intimal response to balloon angioplasty and stenting comparing WT Dvl or ΔDEP Dvl. Representative images of histological sections at low power from each group are shown. In both images, black arrowheads denote the vessel wall (endothelium to external elastic lamina), and white arrowheads show the neointima (subendothelial space to internal elastic lamina). Note that in the region illustrated by the arrowheads there is a very small distance between the fragmented internal elastic and the external elastic laminae. An unpaired t test was used to show the difference between WT and ΔDEP Dvl; *, P < 0.05; and **, P < 0.001 (n = 5–6 mice per group). (C) Cross-sectional images of WT (left) and ΔDEP (right) Dvl–transfected grafts stained with DAPI. Insets in the top images represent the areas illustrated on the bottom. Bar, 100 µm.