Fig 1.
Experimental protocol and TAC intervention.
Created in BioRender. Rathmann, S. (2024) BioRender.com/u27q473. (A) C57Bl/6 mice (Wt) or Ccr2-/- mice underwent TAC or sham surgery. At 3 and 6 days after surgical intervention animals were sacrificed. (B) Transverse aortic constriction induces left ventricular hypertrophy due to pressure overload.
Fig 2.
CCR2 expression modulates the development of LV hypertrophy in response to pressure overload.
(A) Heart-Weight/Body-Weight-Index of Wt and Ccr2-/- mice calculated 3 and 6 days after transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and sham operation. (B) BNP mRNA expression pattern in LV tissue determined 3 and 6 days after TAC in Wt and Ccr2-/- mice. * above individual columns indicate significant differences between TAC and respective sham group; *P <0.05, **P<0.01, *** P<0.001, ****p < 0.0001.
Fig 3.
CCR2 deficiency influences cellular immune response during chronic pressure overload.
(A) Number of neutrophils (PMN), (B) macrophages (MPh) and macrophage subpopulations (C, D) Ly6Clow and Ly6Chigh macrophages in the LV tissue was determined by flow cytometry analysis in Ccr2-/- mice and Wt mice 3 and 6 days after TAC and sham operation. The particular cell subsets were defined as follows: neutrophils as CD45+ F4/80- Ly6G+, macrophages as CD45+ F4/80+ Ly6G-; Ly6Chigh and Ly6Clow macrophages were further discriminated according to the respective Ly6C surface expression; (E, F) Determination of the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD11b on the surface of Ly6Chigh and Ly6Clow macrophages. * above individual columns indicate significant differences between TAC and respective sham group; *P <0.05, **P<0.01, *** P<0.001, ****p < 0.0001.
Fig 4.
CCR2 deficiency modulates the cytokine pattern in the LV tissue in response to TAC.
(A-D) Concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL6, and TNF-α and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were determined in LV tissue homogenates at day 3 and 6 after surgical intervention in Ccr2-/- and Wt mice using ELISA assays. * above individual columns indicate significant differences between TAC and respective sham group; *P <0.05, **P<0.01, *** P<0.001, ****p < 0.0001.