Figure 8. Effect of a high fat diet on expression of neutral endopeptidase in epineurial arterioles.

Presented are representative fluorescent photomicrographs of confocal microscopic sections of epineurial arterioles of the sciatic nerve for neutral endopeptidase immunostaining (top) and Western blot analysis (bottom). The arrow points to the NEP band in the Western blot. The identity of the two other bands in the Western blot from the high fat fed sample is unknown but may be higher molecular weight isoforms. Each of the two vessels was examined on the same day using identical laser and photomultiplier settings. The experiment was repeated three times and the fold increase in expression of NEP in epineurial arterioles from rats fed a high fat diet was 2.6 ± 0.6 as determined by analysis of the immunostaining.