Role of FoxO1 and apoptosis in pulmonary vascular remolding in a rat model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Figures

• 

  Figure 1. Pulmonary arterial pressure trace in the rat CTEPH model (mmHg). Note: Data are expressed as (mean ± SD)mmHg. ◆ P < 0.05, compared to the same week in the sham group; # P < 0.05, compared to the 1-week experimental subgroup; ■ P < 0.05, compared to the 1- and 2-week experimental subgroups.

• 

  Figure 2. Pathological changes in the pulmonary artery in the rat CTEPH model. Note: No significant changes in the pulmonary artery were detected in the sham group (A). One hour after injection, pathological changes included connective tissue organization surrounding the reddish-brown thrombus (B); the thrombus (C) was smllar in the 1-week experimental subgroup. At 4-weeks, increased growth of pulmonary artery endothelial layer were detected (D,E). Vimentin and FVIII factor in sham group (F), 1-week (G) and 2-week (H) experimental subgroup. Red light: FVIII factor (white arrows), green light: vimentin (yellow arrows), blue light: nuclear.

• 

  Figure 3. Endothelial cell apoptosis detected by TUNEL in the rat CTEPH model. Note: Apoptotic cells (white arrows). The endothelial cell apoptotic activity of the sham group was the lowest (A). In the experimental group, these cells’ apoptotic activity decreased with the prolongation of time (B–D).

• 

  Figure 4. FoxO1 mRNA expression in the rat CTEPH model. Note: (A) Sham group; (B) 1-week experimental subgroup; (C) 2-week experimental subgroup (D) 4-week experimental subgroup. # P < 0.05, compared to sham group within the same subgroup.

• 

  Figure 5. Bad mRNA expression in the rat CTEPH model. Note: (A) Sham group; (B) 1-week experimental subgroup; (C) 2-week experimental subgroup; (D) 4-week experimental subgroup. # P < 0.05, compared to sham group within the same subgroup.

• 

  Figure 6. Bcl-2 mRNA expression in the rat CTEPH model. Note: (A) Sham group; (B) 1-week experimental subgroup; (C) 2-week experimental subgroup; (D) 4-week experimental subgroup. # P < 0.05, compared to sham group within the same subgroup.

• 

  Figure 7. FoxO1, Bad, and Bcl-2 protein expression in the rat CTEPH model. Note: (a) Sham group; (b) 1-week experimental subgroup; (c) 2-week experimental subgroup; (d) 4-week experimental subgroup. # P < 0.05, compared to sham group within the same subgroup. *P < 0.05, compared to 1- and 2-week experimental subgroups.

• 

  Figure 8. Immunohistochemical staining of FoxO1, Bad, and Bcl-2 in the rat CTEPH model. Note: FoxO1 expression, both nuclear and cytoplasmic, was ‘strong positive’ in all sham subgroups (A), ‘positive’ in the 1-week (B) and 2-week (C) experimental subgroups, and ‘weak positive’ in the 4-week experimental subgroup (D). Bad expression, both nuclear and cytoplasmic, was ‘negative’ in all sham subgroups (E), ‘positive’ in both the 1-week (F) and 2-week (G) experimental subgroups, and ‘strong positive’ in the 4-week experimental subgroup (H). Bcl-2 expression, both nuclear and cytoplasmic, was ‘positive’ in all sham subgroups (I), ‘strong positive’ in the 1-week experimental subgroup (J), ‘positive’ in the 2-week experimental subgroup (K), and ‘weak positive’ in the 4-week experimental subgroup (L).