Figure 1.
Serum glycemic levels following intraperitoneal glucose loads in (A) glucose tolerance test (GTT) and (B) insulin tolerance test; Data are expressed as means±SE; C: control group; CL: control group treated with losartan; OB: obese group; OBL: obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05, OB vs. C group; #p<0.05, OB vs. OBL group; Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni's test.
Table 1.
Nutritional and endocrine evaluation.
Table 2.
Blood pressure and echocardiography study.
Figure 2.
Morphometric analysis of the myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.
(A) Cardiomyocite cross-sectional area (µm2); (B) cardiomyocyte nuclear volume (µm3); (C) collagen interstitial fraction (%). C: control group; CL: control group treated with losartan; OB: obese group; OBL: obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; † p<0.05 vs. CL group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.
Figure 3.
Myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression in myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.
(A) β- and α-MyHC isoforms of the left ventricle; (B) relative contents (%) of β-MyHC; (C) ratio obtained from relationship between β- and α- MyHC expression. Electrophoresis conditions: sodium duodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to 8%; running: 70 V, 20°C, 30-36 hours; sample concentrations: 10 µg/µl. Products were visualized with Coomassie brilliant blue staining. Band quantification was obtained by product densitometry analysis as integrated optical density. C: control group; CL: control group treated with losartan; OB: obese group; OBL: obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; † p<0.05 vs. CL group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.
Figure 4.
Protein levels of angiotensin and MAPK isoforms in myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.
Protein levels were normalized to GAPDH levels. (A) Angiotensin levels; (B) ERK levels; (C) JNK levels; C (n = 6): control group; CL (n = 6): control group treated with losartan; OB (n = 6): obese group; OBL (n = 6): obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.
Figure 5.
Protein levels of β-subunit of insulin receptor (βIR) in total and tyrosine phosphorylated forms in myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.
Total protein levels were normalized to GAPDH levels. (A) proteins bands for βIR, phosphor-Tyr-βIR and GAPDH; (B) βIR expression values; (C) phospho-Tyr-βIR expression values; C (n = 6): control group; CL (n = 6): control group treated with losartan; OB (n = 6): obese group; OBL (n = 6): obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.
Figure 6.
Protein levels of p85α subunit of PI 3-kinase (PI3K) in total and phosphorylated tyrosine forms in myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.
Total protein levels were normalized to GAPDH levels. (A) protein bands for PI3K, phosphor-Tyr-PI3K, and GAPDH; (B) PI3K expression values; (C) phospho-Tyr-PI3K expression values; C (n = 6): control group; CL (n = 6): control group treated with losartan; OB (n = 6): obese group; OBL (n = 6): obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; † p<0.05 vs. CL group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.