Fig. 4
Effects of diabetes mellitus and cinaciguat on myocardial fibrotic remodelling. a Relative gene expression values of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-9 (P value of diabetes × treatment interaction in the two-factorial ANOVA, Pinteraction = 0.038), tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-1, MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio (Pinteraction < 0.001), MMP-2, TIMP-2, MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio, collagen 1a1 (Col1), 3a1 (Col3) and fibronectin (n = 5–6/group). b Representative images of Masson’s trichrome (MT) staining and representative immunohistochemical images of profibrotic mediator transforming growth factor (TGF)–β1 and fibrosis marker fibronectin. Quantification of MT staining (Pinteraction = 0.002), TGF-β1 (Pinteraction = 0.029) and fibronectin immunohistochemistry. Magnification: ×400, Scale bar 40 µm. (n = 9–11/group) c Relative protein expression and representative immunoblot bands of TGF-β1 (Pinteraction = 0.049), MMP-2 and MMP-9. (n = 5–6/group) Groups: vehicle-treated control (Co), cinaciguat-treated control (CoCin), vehicle-treated diabetic (DiabCo) and cinaciguat-treated diabetic (DiabCin). Bar graphs represent mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05 vs. Co, †P < 0.05 vs. DiabCo (Tukey HSD test)