Poge heart-saving decoction meliorates heart failure by suppressing apoptosis and fibrosis via regulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Model evaluation and experimental procedure diagram. (A) Representative echocardiography images of the control group and the ISO group. (B) Cardiac function parameters in the control group and ISO group (n = 5). (C) Experimental procedure diagram.

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  FIGURE 2. Network analysis of PHSD and heart failure. (A) Venn diagram illustrating overlapping targets between PHSD and heart failure. (B) PPI network of core targets. (C) Top 10 significantly enriched GO terms categorized by biological process (BP), cellular component (CC) and molecular functions (MF). (D) Top 20 significantly enriched KEGG pathways.

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  FIGURE 3. PHSD improved cardiac function. (A) Representative echocardiography images across groups (n = 5). (B) EF. (C) FS. (D) LVIDs. (E) LVIDd. (F) Serum NT-proBNP expression levels (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 versus model group.

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  FIGURE 4. PHSD attenuates ISO-induced myocardial apoptosis in mice (n = 3). (A) Representative HE-stained images of myocardial tissues (magnification: ×200; scale bar = 100 μm). (B) Representative TUNEL-stained images of myocardial tissues (magnification: ×200; scale bar = 100 μm). Brown-stained nuclei represent apoptotic cardiomyocytes. (C) Quantification of TUNEL-positive nuclei across groups. (D) mRNA expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in myocardial tissues. (E) Protein expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 in myocardial tissues. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 versus model group.

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  FIGURE 5. PHSD alleviates ISO-induced cardiac fibrosis (n = 3). (A) Representative images and quantitative analysis of Masson staining in myocardial tissue. Blue staining indicates collagen deposition (magnification: ×200, scale bar = 50 μm). (B) Representative images and quantitative analysis of Sirius Red staining in myocardial tissue. Pink staining indicates collagen deposition (magnification: ×200, scale bar = 100 μm). (C) Collagen I and Collagen III mRNA expression levels. (D) Protein expression levels of Collagen I and Collagen III in cardiac tissue. P < 0.05, *P < 0.01, **P < 0.001 versus model group.

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  FIGURE 6. PHSD inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway in ISO-induced heart failure model mice (n = 3). (A) Representative images and quantitative analysis of immunohistochemical staining for PI3K and AKT in myocardial tissue (magnification: ×200, scale bar = 100 μm). Brown-stained areas represent regions of positive expression. (B) Relative mRNA expression levels of Pi3k and Akt in myocardial tissue. (C) Representative protein expression levels of PI3K/AKT pathway in myocardial tissue. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 versus model group.