However, for adult animals under standard housing conditions it was assumed that they do not show a vessel phenotype. Atherosclerosis is considered an age-related, chronic inflammatory disease and activation of AhR by its ligands dioxin or benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)10, a constituent of cigarette smoke, has been shown to promote atherosclerosis12, 13. This evidence concerns the gene AHR and atherosclerosis.