Alteration of the soluble guanylate cyclase system in coronary arteries of high cholesterol diet‐fed rabbits

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Typical images of hematoxylin–eosin‐stained rabbit coronary arteries in the N (left images), S‐HC (middle images), and L‐HC (right images) groups. Scale bars, 250 μm (upper images, 400× magnification) and 50 μm (lower images, 1600× magnification). The arrows indicate cholesterol deposition. Abbreviations: L‐HC, long‐term high cholesterol diet; N, normal diet; S‐HC, short‐term high cholesterol diet

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  FIGURE 2. (A and B) Vascular responses of rabbit coronary arteries to SNP and BAY 60‐2770 in the N, S‐HC, and L‐HC groups. Each point and bar represent the mean ± SEM values of eight experiments. a p = .07, *p < .05, and **p < .01, compared to the N group; †† p < .01, compared to the S‐HC group. Statistical analysis was performed using two‐way repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test. Abbreviations: L‐HC, long‐term high cholesterol diet; N, normal diet; S‐HC, short‐term high cholesterol diet; SNP, sodium nitroprusside

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  FIGURE 3. (A) Typical images of sGC β1‐immunostained rabbit coronary arteries in the N (left images), S‐HC (middle images), and L‐HC (right images) groups. Scale bars, 250 μm (upper images, 400× magnification) and 50 μm (lower images, 1600× magnification). (B) sGC β1 immunostaining intensity values. Each column and bar represent the mean ± SEM values of eight experiments. Statistical analysis was performed using one‐way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test. Abbreviations: L‐HC, long‐term high cholesterol diet; MGV, mean gray value; N, normal diet; S‐HC, short‐term high cholesterol diet

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  FIGURE 4. (A) Typical images of PKG‐immunostained rabbit coronary arteries in the N (left images), S‐HC (middle images), and L‐HC (right images) groups. Scale bars, 250 μm (upper images, 400× magnification) and 50 μm (lower images, 1600× magnification). (B) PKG immunostaining intensity values. Each column and bar represent the mean ± SEM values of eight experiments. § p < .05, compared to the media in the L‐HC group. Statistical analysis was performed using one‐way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test. Abbreviations: L‐HC, long‐term high cholesterol diet; MGV, mean gray value; N, normal diet; S‐HC, short‐term high cholesterol diet

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  FIGURE 5. cGMP levels in rabbit coronary arteries incubated alone (left side), with SNP (middle), and BAY 60‐2770 (right side) in the N, S‐HC, and L‐HC groups. Each column and bar represent the mean ± SEM values of four experiments with duplicate analyses (total of eight measurements). ‡ p < .05 and ‡‡ p < .01, compared to the respective basal condition. Statistical analysis was performed using two‐way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test. Abbreviations: L‐HC, long‐term high cholesterol diet; N, normal diet; S‐HC, short‐term high cholesterol diet; SNP, sodium nitroprusside