Which one of the following is true of atherosclerotic plaque formation?
A. It is an acute inflammatory disease of the vascular intimaEndothelial injury and dysfunction result from a number of insults. Decreased nitric oxide (NO), which is antiatherogenic, results from endothelial dysfunction. Branch points are vulnerable. Modified cholesterol esters (oxidized LDL) accumulate in the subendothelial space and are phagocytosed by macrophages to form foam cells. Abnormal vascular smooth muscle proliferation at points of atherosclerosis contributes to plaque formation and also determines the stability of the lesions (fibrous cap–thin caps = vulnerability to shear stress).