Fig. 7.

Confocal laser scanning micrographs of double-immunofluorescence staining for BSA (a, d, g; red color) and connexin 43 (b, e, h; green color) on the sections of mouse heart tissues prepared by IVCT at 5 min (a–c), 30 min (d–f), and 48 hr (g–i) after the BSA injection. The BSA is immunolocalized only in blood vessels (a, c; black arrows) at 5 min. (d)–(f) At 30 min, it is immunolocalized in blood vessels (black arrows), interstitium (white arrows), intercalated discs (d, f; large black arrowheads), and t-tubules (small black arrowheads). At a higher magnification (f; inset), the BSA is closely immunolocalized in intercalated discs with connexin 43 (green color; white arrowhead). (g)–(i) At 48 hr, it is immunolocalized only in blood vessels (black arrows), and lost from the interstitium, intercalated discs, and t-tubules. Bars=10 µm.