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. 2017 May 4;2(9):e82922. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.82922

Figure 2. Mechanical unloading decreases circulating and myocardial ceramides in patients with HF.

Figure 2

(A) Absolute circulating ceramide levels in patients with advanced HF before (n = 15) and after (n = 15) VAD implantation (n = 15 paired samples). (B) Relative differences in circulating ceramide species in patients with advanced HF before and after VAD implantation (n = 15, paired). (C) Heatmap illustrating dynamics in total and individual serum ceramide levels (expressed as ratio of levels at the time of explantation versus implantation of VAD). (D) Absolute myocardial ceramide levels in patients at the time of VAD implantation (n = 15) compared with VAD explantation (n = 15). (E) Dynamics in myocardial ceramide species levels during the time of VAD support (analysis before versus after VAD) (n = 15). (F) Heatmap illustrating dynamics in myocardial ceramide species (expressed as ratio of levels at the time of explantation compared with implantation). (G) Relative differences in key proteins of ceramide synthesis (n = 4–7). (H) Western blot analysis of key proteins of various ceramide synthesis pathways. Please note that some lanes of the HF Pre-VAD group were used in Figure 1I to illustrate the HF pattern. VAD, ventricular assist device. Two-tailed Student’s t test was used for analyzing data (*P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 versus Pre-VAD).