Figure 5.

Subcutaneous microcirculation and cardiac expressions of eNOS of mice under sham, B307, DOX, and B307+DOX treatments.

Notes: (A) (a) Dorsal imaging of subcutaneous microcirculation in mice under sham, B307, DOX, and B307+DOX treatments by using moorFLPI laser Doppler imaging and (b) quantified subcutaneous microcirculation of the mice was significantly enhanced under B307 treatment but was significantly reduced under DOX treatment. As to the DOX-treated mice, quantified skin blood flow was significantly enhanced under B307 treatment. (B) H&E and IHC staining in the heart tissue of the mice under sham, B307, DOX, and B307+DOX treatments. H&E staining shows cardiac fibrosis deposition (marked by arrows) in the heart tissue of mice under DOX treatment but was alleviated under oral B307 treatment in the DOX-treated mice. IHC staining illustrates that cardiac expression levels of eNOS in the mice were visibly enhanced under oral B307 treatment but were visibly reduced under DOX treatment. As to the DOX-treated mice, cardiac expression levels of eNOS were visibly enhanced under oral B307 treatment. (C) Western blotting analysis shows the following: (a) expression levels of cardiac eNOS under sham, B307, DOX, and B307+DOX treatments and (b) quantified eNOS levels in the heart tissue of the mice were significantly enhanced under oral B307 treatment but were significantly reduced under DOX treatment. As to the DOX-treated mice, quantified eNOS levels in the heart tissue were significantly enhanced under oral B307 treatment. The number of mice under sham, B307, DOX, and B307+DOX treatments was six for each group. Values are mean ± SEM (*P<0.05, **P<0.01, two-way ANOVA followed by a Student–Newman–Keuls multiple comparisons posttest).

Abbreviations: H&E, hematoxylin and eosin; DOX, doxorubicin; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase; kDa, kilodalton; IHC, immunohistochemical; SEM, standard error of the mean; ANOVA, analysis of variance.