Cell death‐inducing DFF 45‐like effector C gene silencing alleviates pulmonary vascular remodeling in a type 2 diabetic rat model

Figures

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  Figure 1. Body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting insulin (FINS) of the four groups at the 21st week. (a) Bodyweights. (b) FBG. (c) FINS. (d). ISI (**P < 0.01 vs group C; ## P < 0.01 vs group A).

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  Figure 2. Pulmonary artery flow detected by pulse‐wave Doppler.

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  Figure 3. Pulmonary artery acceleration time measured by pulse‐wave Doppler in each group (**P < 0.01, ## P < 0.01 vs group C, @ P < 0.05 vs group D, && P < 0.01 vs group V).

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  Figure 4. The indexes of right ventricular hypertrophy (RVHI) of the four groups (P > 0.05). LV + S, left ventricle plus the interventricular septum.

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  Figure 5. (a) Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation observed by hematoxylin–eosin staining. (b) The medial layer thickness index (**P < 0.01, ## P < 0.01 vs group C, ▲▲ P < 0.01 vs group C, ♦♦ P < 0.01 vs group D, ★★ P < 0.01 vs group V). (c) The medial layer area index (**P < 0.01, ## P < 0.01 vs group C), ▲▲ P < 0.01 vs group C, ♦ P < 0.05 vs group D, ★ P < 0.05 vs group V).

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  Figure 6. (a) Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. (b) The cell proliferation indexes (**P < 0.01, *P < 0.05 vs Group C, # P < 0.05 vs group D, @ P < 0.05 vs group V).

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  Figure 7. (a) The adventitial fibrosis observed by Sirius red staining. (b) The adventitia thickness index (**P < 0.01, ## P < 0.01 vs group C, ▲ P < 0.05 vs group C, ♦ P < 0.05 vs group D, ★ P < 0.05 vs group V). (c) The adventitia area index (**P < 0.01, ## P < 0.01 vs group C, ▲ P < 0.05 vs group C, ♦ P < 0.05 vs group D, ★ P < 0.05 vs group V).

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  Figure 8. (a) The apoptosis of the pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling reaction. (b) The apoptotic indexes (**P < 0.01, *P < 0.05 vs group C, ## P < 0.01 vs group D, @@ P < 0.01 vs group V).

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  Figure 9. (a) Cleaved caspase‐3 and cleaved poly (adenosine diphosphate‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) in lung tissue measured by western blotting. (b) Cleaved caspase‐3 (**P < 0.01, *P < 0.05 vs group C, ## P < 0.01 vs group D, @ P < 0.05 vs group V). (c) Cleaved PARP (**P < 0.01, *P < 0.05 vs group C, # P < 0.05 vs group D, @ P < 0.05 vs group V).

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  Figure 10. (a) Protein expression of cell death‐inducing DFF45‐like effector C (CIDEC), adenosine 5′ monophosphate‐activated protein kinase‐α (AMPKα) and phosphorylated AMPKα measured by western blotting. (b) CIDEC (**P < 0.01, ## P < 0.01, @ P < 0.05 vs group C, && P < 0.01 vs group D, %% P < 0.01 vs group V). (c) Phosphorylated AMPKα (*P < 0.05, # P < 0.05 vs group C, @ P < 0.05 vs group D, & P < 0.05 vs group V). (d) AMPKα (P > 0.05).