Figure 6.

modVEGF-transfected iPSC-CMs exhibit maturation with time from engraftment

(A–C) Representative confocal immunofluorescence staining of connexin 43 (Cx43) in the grafted region of infarcted rat myocardium following iPSC-CMs^modLuc transplantation at 1 week (A) or iPSC-CMs^modVEGF transplantation at 1 week (B) and 4 weeks (C): green, cTnT; red, Cx43; blue, DAPI. Note MI-iPSC-CMs^modVEGF treatment exhibited enhanced Cx43 expression at 1 week and 4 weeks post transplantation, suggesting more gap junctions between cell-cell interfaces. For (A–C), scale bars, 75 μm. Scale bars (zoomed snapshot), 7.5 μm. (D) Quantitative analysis and comparison of Cx43-positive cells at 1 week and 4 weeks post transplantation between MI-iPSC-CMs^modLuc group and MI-iPSC-CMs^modVEGF group. 1 week, MI-iPSC-CMs^modLuc n = 3, MI-iPSC-CMs^modVEGF n = 3; 4 weeks, MI-iPSC-CMs^modLuc n = 7, MI-iPSC-CMs^modVEGF n = 5. All data are means ± SD. ND not detected, ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01.