Figure 8.

Effect of the Punisher on neointimal hyperplasia in a rat carotid artery balloon injury model. (a) Systematic administration of cocktail in rat carotid balloon injury model. (b) The in vivo bioluminescence images of the distribution of Cy5.5-labeled Punisher/PEI/PEG complexes in the carotid balloon injury model. (c) Punisher suppressed neointimal hyperplasia in injured arteries as determined by H&E staining. (d) Morphometric analysis of the intima/media (I/M) area ratio. (e, f) Enforcement of Punisher distinctly attenuated apoptosis of injured arteries in vivo determining by immunofluorescence and western blotting. (g) Transfection of the Punisher remarkably restrained the expression of miR-664a-5p level in vivo as determined by qRT-PCR compared with the uninjured group. (h) The graphic illustration of Punisher-miR-664a-5p–OPA1 signaling axis in VSMCs. Results were quantified using the ImageJ software. Data are shown as mean ± SD. Scale bar, 100 mm. n = 6 for (b–d). ^∗p < 0.05; ^∗∗p < 0.01.