Fig. 1.

Pressure overload induces fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction. (A, B) Representative Masson’s trichrome stained images of hearts 56 days after (A) sham operation (Control) or (B) aortic banding (AB). Scale bar = 500 µm, 50 µm (insets). (C) Bar graph shows quantification of collagen (calculated as percentage of collagen positive area divided by total area) from Control (white bar, n = 8–10) and AB (grey bar, n = 7–11) hearts at day 3, 14 and 56 after AB, presented as values relative to respective Control. (D) Heart weight (HW) normalized to tibia length (TL), (E) left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole (Wall thickness), (F) lung weight (LW) normalized to TL, (G) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in Control (n = 9–10) and AB (n = 8–11) hearts. Echocardiographic measurements were obtained from Control (n = 18–20 at day 1 to 28, n = 10 at day 56) and AB hearts (n = 16–18 at day 1 to 28, n = 8 at day 56). Data represent mean ± SD. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s multiple comparisons test was used for statistical analysis. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. *P < 0.05 Control vs. AB, ^†P < 0.05 AB vs. day 1 post AB, ^‡P < 0.05 AB vs. day 3 post AB.