FIGURE 4.

Berberine alleviates MI in mice by inhibiting Wnt5a pathway. (a‐b) Infarcted heart tissues from sham, Myocardial infarction (MI), and Berberine (BBR) groups were collected for protein and mRNA preparation. The protein levels of Wnt5a and β‐catenin and mRNA level of Wnt5a were measured by western blotting and PCR, respectively. Lymphocytes were prepared from heart tissues of three groups, and cultured for macrophage selection. (c) The extracted cardiac macrophages were evaluated by flow cytometry, (d) and the protein levels of Wnt5a and β‐catenin were assayed by western blotting. The effect of cardiac macrophages on angiogenesis was evaluated by tube formation experiment co‐cultured with supernatant of cultured macrophages. (e) The images and numbers of formed tubes were examined. (f) The pictures show the representative echocardiography images, and the bar charts indicate the levels of left ventricular diastolic dimension, left ventricular internal dimension systole, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular fraction shortening from sham, MI, BBR, and FH535 groups. n = 5 animals per group. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001