Ginsenoside Re Improves Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Fibrosis and Heart Failure in Rats

Figures

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  Figure 1. Experimental design.

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  Figure 2. Effect of ginsenoside Re on myocardial hypertrophy and the heart weight index in isoproterenol-induced myocardial fibrosis and heart failure in rats. (a) Representative hearts of rats in each of the four groups, (b) heart weight, (c) body weight, and (d) heart weight index. Data are the mean ± SD. Control group: n = 14; isoproterenol group: n = 12; ginsenoside Re (5 mg/kg) group: n = 12; ginsenoside Re (20 mg/kg) group: n = 12. ##P < 0.01 compared with the control group. ∗P < 0.05 or ∗∗P < 0.01 compared with the isoproterenol group.

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  Figure 3. Effect of ginsenoside Re on cardiac function in isoproterenol-induced myocardial fibrosis and heart failure in rats. (a) Left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), (b) left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), (c) +dp/dt, and (d) −dp/dt. Data are the mean ± SD. Control group: n = 14; isoproterenol group: n = 12; ginsenoside Re (5 mg/kg) group: n = 12; ginsenoside Re (20 mg/kg) group: n = 12. ##P < 0.01 compared with the control group. ∗P < 0.05 or ∗∗P < 0.01 compared with the isoproterenol group.

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  Figure 4. Effect of ginsenoside Re on myocardial fibrosis and hydroxyproline content in isoproterenol-induced myocardial fibrosis and heart failure in rats. (a) Representative photomicrographs of Sirius Red staining of rat hearts. Collagen fibers were stained red (black arrows) and myocardial tissues were stained yellow (n = 3), (b) bar graph of myocardial fibrosis (percentage of fibrotic tissue in hearts), and (c) bar graph of hydroxyproline content. Control group: n = 8; isoproterenol group: n = 6; ginsenoside Re (5 mg/kg) group: n = 6; ginsenoside Re (20 mg/kg) group: n = 7. Data are the mean ± SD. ##P < 0.01 compared with the control group. ∗P < 0.05 or ∗∗P < 0.01 compared with the isoproterenol group. Bar=100 μm.

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  Figure 5. Effect of ginsenoside Re on TGF-β1 expression in isoproterenol-induced myocardial fibrosis and heart failure in rats. Data are the mean ± SD. Control group: n = 14; isoproterenol group: n = 12; ginsenoside Re (5 mg/kg) group: n = 12; ginsenoside Re (20 mg/kg) group: n = 12. ##P < 0.01 compared with the control group. ∗∗P < 0.01 compared with the isoproterenol group.

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  Figure 6. Effect of ginsenoside Re on expression of p-Smad3 and collagen I in isoproterenol-induced myocardial fibrosis and heart failure in rats. (a) Representative western blots of collagen I, p-Smad3 and Smad3, (b) bar graphs of collagen-I expression, (c) bar graphs of Smad3 expression, and (d) bar graphs of p-Smad3 expression. Data are the mean ± SD (n = 3). ##P < 0.01 compared with the control group. ∗P < 0.05 compared with the isoproterenol group.