Fig. 3

A Demonstrated the captured images of DAPI, TUNEL and their merged images in cultured myocytes. DAPI staining indicated the location of cell nuclei; TUNEL positive cells indicated the apoptotic cells. Column in the left part of a indicated the calculated apoptotic rate of myocytes in Ctrl, Scramble, HG, HG + IRAK2^−/−, HG + IL-1β and HG + IL-1β + IRAK2^−/− respectively. B Demonstrated the captured images of cTnI (conjugated with Flour 488), Hoechst and their merged images in cultured myocytes. cTnI positive cells were identified as myocytes; Hoechst positive ones were identified as apoptotic cells. Columns in on the right part stood for percentage of Hoechst-positive cells in Ctrl, Scramble, HG, HG + IRAK2^−/−, HG + IL-1β and HG + IL-1β + IRAK2^−/− respectively. C demonstrated the immunoblots of GRP-78, IRAK-2, CHOP, IL-1β and GAPDH respectively in total protein extracted from myocytes. Columns on the right part of the figure demonstrated the relative expression levels (normalized to GAPDH) of GRP-78, IRAK-2, CHOP and IL-1β in Ctrl, Scramble, HG, HG + IRAK2^−/−, HG + IL-1β and HG + IL-1β + IRAK2^−/− respectively [letter a differences were significant when compared with Ctrl (p < 0.05); letter b differences were significant compared with Scramble; letter c differences were significant compared with HG (p < 0.05); letter d differences were significant compared with HG + IL-1β (p < 0.05)]