Figure 1.
Myocardial perfusion and metabolism evaluated by 99mTc-MIBI SPECT and 18F-FDG PET-CT, respectively.
A. The perfusion defect proportion. B. The variation in perfusion defect proportion (variation = endpoint − baseline). C. The two left columns are the vertical long axis view of myocardial metabolism; the two right columns are the bull's eye polarmap. From top to below: Sham group, Control group, Ator group, MSCs group; Ator+MSCs group, Ator+MSCs+L-NNA group. D. The variation of metabolism defect size and proportion (variation = endpoint − baseline). Each group was compared with the Control group. * P<0.05, # P<0.01.
Figure 2.
Left ventricular function evaluated using Cardiac MRI.
A–F: The short-axis image of the end-diastolic or end-systolic period. A. Sham group. B. Control group. C. Ator group. D. MSCs group. E. Ator+MSCs group. F. Ator+MSCs+L-NNA group. G–I: The variation of LVEF, LVCO, and LVCI (Variation = endpoint − baseline). Each group was compared with the Control group. * P<0.05, # P<0.01.
Figure 3.
TTC staining and H&E/Masson's Trichrome staining.
A. Sham group. B. Control group. C. Ator group. D. MSCs group. E. Ator+MSCs group. F. Ator+MSCs+L-NNA group. Infarction tissue was stained as white and normal tissue was stained as red. G–H: H&E staining showed inflammatory cell infiltration and inflammation score. I–J: Masson's Trichrome staining and fibrosis. Each group compared with Control group. * P<0.05, # P<0.01. The magnification is 100×.Scale bar = 50 µm.
Figure 4.
Survival and cardiomyogenesis potential of the implanted MSCs.
A–E: The survival of implanted MSCs in vivo. DAPI- (blue) and CM-DiI- (red) positive cells were counted using Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software. Double-labelled cells in each field were counted as surviving MSCs. The Ator+MSCs and Ator+MSCs+L-NNA groups were compared with the MSCs group. * P<0.05, # P<0.01. F–N: Cardiomyogenesis of the implanted MSCs in vivo(Ator+MSCs group). Cardiac-specific proteins are labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (green). The final magnification is 100×. Scale bar = 50 µm.
Figure 5.
TUNEL assay and serum hs-CRP levels.
A. TUNEL-positive nuclei (apoptotic nuclei, green) and DAPI-stained nuclei (total nuclei, blue). B. The percentage of apoptotic cells was termed as the apoptotic index. The magnification is 100×. Scale bar = 100 µm. C. Serum hs-CRP level. Each group was compared with the Control group.* P<0.05, # P<0.01.
Figure 6.
NO concentration and cNOS activity and RT-PCR test.
A. Serum NO concentration. B. Serum cNOS activity. C–E: RT-PCR of iNOS, eNOS, and nNOS in peri-infarcted area of each group. Each group was compared with the Control group.* P<0.05, # P<0.01.
Figure 7.
Ratio of average grayscale corrected value with p-eNOS/eNOS in peri-infarcted area of each group. Each group was compared with the Control group.* P<0.05, # P<0.01.
Figure 8.
Factor VIII staining of peri-infarcted area.
A, Sham group; B, Control group; C, Ator group; D, MSCs group; E, Ator+MSCs group; F, Ator+MSCs+L-NNA group; G, Factor VIII positive cells/HPF. Each group compared with control group. # P<0.01.The magnification is 400×, bar = 50 µm.