Effects of vitamin K status on the mechanical properties of isolated rat carotid arteries. The pressure-diameter relation was monitored for animals receiving the control diet (n = 6; ▵), those after 12 weeks of the W&K diet (n = 6; ○), and animals after 6 weeks of W&K and subsequently 6 weeks of high vitamin K (both K₁ (□) and K₂ (▪; n = 6 per group). The arterial diameter is shown as a function of increasing pressure. Data are shown as mean ± SD.