Blockade of Exosome Secretion With GW4869 Improves Cardiomyocytes Pyroptosis and UCM
(A) Uremic mice were injected with GW4869 to block exosome secretion. Overview of the experimental in vivo procedure. (B) Representative immunohistochemical staining of caspase 1. (C) Quantification of caspase-1 expression in heart tissues (n = 6 per group). (D) Levels of Gsdmd p30, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 proteins. (E) Graphic presentation shows the relative abundance levels of caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and Gsdmd p30 after normalization with GAPDH (n = 6 per group). (F) TUNEL assay; the yellow arrows indicate TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes. (G) Quantification of TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes (n = 6 per group). (H) Gross morphology of heart. (I) Summary of heart weight (n = 6 per group) and (J) heart weights/body weights (n = 6 per group). (K) Representative micrographs of sagittal sections (HE). (L) Summary of myocyte size (n = 6 per group). (M) Representative micrographs of left ventricular sections (Trichrome). (N) Summary of semiquantification of the Trichrome-positive area (n = 6 per group). Scale bars: 2 mm (F); 50 μm (B, K, M). #p < 0.05 versus control, *p < 0.05 versus uremic group. Abbreviations as in Figures 1 and 2.