Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Cardiovasc Pathol. 2010 May 7;20(2):e57–e68. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2010.03.007

Figure 5. Increased MMP activity in ApoE−/− mice caused striking mast cell degranulation with modest increase in total number and reduction apoptotic cell death.

Figure 5

Noticeable increase in mast cell degranulation was observed in ApoE−/− mice fed HF diet for 16 weeks (Figure 5A top panel; bottom panel shows mast cells in magnification). Mast cells were stained by Giemsa stain. Figures 5B&C show quantitation of mast cell degranulation and total number. Hearts isolated from these experimental groups were collected and subjected to TUNEL assay (D) or immunohistochemistry with antibodies to active caspase-3 (E). Figure 5 D &E left panel represents quantitation of immunoreactivity was conducted using Image-Pro Plus software and expressed as immunoreactivity/mm2. Scale bar: 50 μm P value (<0.05) *compared to ApoE−/− RD, #compared to ApoE−/− HF (16 weeks).