Figure 7.

Overexpression of Jagged1 promotes AVG arterialization. (A) Schematic of generation of VSMC-specific overexpression of Jagged1 transgenic mice. (B) Western blotting analysis of Jagged1 expression in aorta from WT and VSMC^{Jagged1 OE} mice (n = 3). (C) Representative images of immunofluorescent staining of the Jagged1 (red) in artery (L, lumen). (D and E) Representative images of immunostaining and densitometric analysis of CD31 and CD45 in 2 week AVGs created in WT and VSMC^{Jagged1 OE} mice (*, P < 0.05 vs. WT, n = 5; t-test was used for statistical analysis). (F and G) Representative images of immunostaining and densitometric analysis of N-cadherin and integrin β3 in AVGs created in WT and VSMC^{Jagged1 OE} mice (*, P < 0.05 vs. WT, n = 5; t-test was used for statistical analysis). (H–J) Representative images of immunostaining of α-SMA from 1 month AVGs created in WT and Jagged1 OE mice were shown (H). The areas of neointima and lumen (I) as well as their ratio (J) were measured and calculated (*, P < 0.05 vs. WT, n = 5; t-test was used for statistical analysis). (K and L) The numbers of PCNA positive cells in neointima of the AVGs created in WT and VSMC^{Jagged1 OE} mice were counted and calculated (*, P < 0.05 vs. WT, n = 5; t-test was used for statistical analysis). The scale bars (with white and black colours) in panel (D), (F), (H), and (K) are 50 µm; the scale bars with red colour in panel (H) are 500 µm.