The high level of CE accumulation in thoracic aorta SMCs presumably explains why SMC-Abca1/Abcg1 deficiency did not induce thoracic aorta SMC transdifferentiation, and also why we, after 16 weeks of WTD, found no atherosclerosis in the thoracic aorta, because no macrophages were present at this time point (Figure S2). This evidence concerns the gene ABCA1 and atherosclerosis.