Figure 3: Cardiac fibrosis is followed by microvascular rarefaction in male but not female BPH/2J mice with HF-like characteristics.

In A, representative images of collagen staining (Mason’s Trichrome) of LV and coronary arteries from male and female BPN/3J and BPH/2J mice, at 6 weeks and 1.5 years of age. Fibrotic area quantification (%) in male (B and C) and female (D and E) BPN/3J and BPH/2J mice. Western blotting representative membranes (top) and bar graphs (bottom) of phosphorylated-VE-cadherin in male (F) and female (G) mice. GAPDH was used as loading control. Representative images (H) of cardiac ECs (CD31⁺, in green), and bar graphs show its density (% area) in male (I) and female (J) in BPN/3J and BPH/2J mice. Bar represents 50μm, and DAPI stained cell nuclei (blue). Representative images (K) of cardiac Sca1⁺ progenitor cells (gray), and bar graphs show its fluorescence intensity in male (L) and female (M) BPN/3J and BPH/2J mice. Bar represents 50μm. Comparison of the cardiac Sca1⁺ cells (N) shows higher levels in female BPH/2J with HFpEF than in male BPH/2J mice with HFmrEF. Negative control images were incubated with secondary antibodies. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *different from BPN/3J 6-week-old; ^#different from BPN/3J 1.5-year-old; **different from BPH/2J 6-week-old (p<0.05).