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. 2015 Jan 13;23(2):374–386. doi: 10.1038/mt.2014.225

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Vessel remodeling and maturation in peri-infarct myocardium. Immunohistochemical analyses of functionality (patency) and vessel maturation observed in peri-infarct myocardium at 3 (n = 6 for each group) (a–g) and 28 (n = 11 for each group) (h–n) days after treatments (* P < 0.05). Representative CD31/lectin and CD31/α-SMA staining at 3 (a,b) and 28 (h,i) days after treatments (400×, scale bar= 100 μm). Three days after treatment, there was no difference in number of CD31-positive cells among the groups, though the combined group showed a trend of greater number of functional blood vessels with patent endothelial layers (CD31/lectin double-positive) and structurally (CD31/α-SMA double-positive) mature vessels, with a higher maturation index (c–g). Notably, the percentage without lectin staining (CD31+/lectin-) was significantly smaller in the combined group. The number of endothelial (CD31 positive) cells in the control and single treatment groups decreased with time, while that in the combined remained unchanged. Consequently, the angiogenic effects induced in the latter were more profound at 28 days after treatment, with a significantly greater amount of mature vessels (j–n).