Figure 3. Myofibroblast-specific Smad7 loss increases left ventricular dysfunction and accentuates adverse postinfarction remodeling.

(A and B) Echocardiographic assessment of adverse remodeling after 7 to 28 days following infarction shows that MFS7KO mice have worse systolic dysfunction demonstrated by a lower ejection fraction at both time points (A), and significantly higher reduction in ejection fraction (ΔLVEF, B) in comparison with Smad7^fl/fl (S7fl/fl) mice. (C–F) MFS7KO mice have accentuated dilative remodeling evidenced by increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV, C), accentuated increases in LVEDV (ΔLVEDV, D), higher left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV, E), and accentuated ΔLVESV (F). (G) The E/E′ ratio, an indicator of diastolic dysfunction, is significantly increased in MFS7KO at the 7-day time point. Statistical comparison (A–G) was performed using 1-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test (Smad7^fl/fl, n = 30; MFS7KO, n = 44). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ****P < 0.0001; ^{^^^}P < 0.001, ^{^^^^}P < 0.0001 versus baseline.