Fig. 3.

Elamipretide (ELAM) attenuates endothelial cell injury. Representative double immunofluorescent staining (×40) for CD31 (green) and TUNEL, caspase-3, nitrotyrosine, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS; red). The number of endothelial cells (CD31, green) positive for TUNEL (red) and caspase-3 (red) was elevated in metabolic syndrome (MetS) animals but decreased in MetS + ELAM animals (n = 6/group). Treatment with ELAM restored the double immunoreactivity of nitrotyrosine (red) and CD31. Myocardial endothelial cell expression of eNOS decreased in MetS pigs but moderately improved in MetS + ELAM-treated pigs (n = 6/group). *P < 0.05 vs. lean pigs; †P < 0.05 vs. MetS + ELAM pigs.