Fig 3. CX3CR1 deficiency drives the immune response to a pro-inflammatory phenotype during chronic pressure overload.

Quantification of Ly6C^low F4/80⁺ macrophages in the spleen and of (B) Ly6C^low and Ly6C^high CD115⁺ monocytes in the blood of Wt and Cx3cr1^GFP/GFP mice determined by flow cytometry 3 and 6 days after TAC and sham ioperation. (C-E) Number of neutrophils, Ly6C^low and Ly6C^high macrophages in the LV tissue was determined by flow cytometry analysis in Cx3cr1^GFP/GFP and Wt mice 3 and 6 days after TAC and sham operation. The particular cell subsets were defined as follows: neutrophils as CD45⁺ F4/80^- Ly6G^+, macrophages as CD45⁺ F4/80⁺ Ly6G^-; Ly6C^high and Ly6C^low macrophages were further discriminated according to the respective Ly6C surface expression; (F-I) Concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL6 and IL-1β, the chemokine MCP1 and IL-10 were determined in LV tissue homogenates at day 3 and 6 after surgical intervention in Cx3cr1^GFP/GFP and Wt mice using ELISA assays. (J-M) BrdU content of cardiac Ly6C^high and Ly6C^low macrophages was determined by flow cytometry analysis at day 3 after TAC. BrdU was administered 18h before analysis. Histograms are based on concetenated plots of 4 mice. N = 6–8 mice/group; * above individual columns indicate significant differences between TAC and respective sham group; *P <0.05, **P<0.01, *** P<0.001, ****p < 0.0001.