Fig. 6

Effects of empagliflozin on rats with isoproterenol-induced heart failure (HF). A Schematic summarizing the treatment protocol for Wistar rats with isoproterenol (100 mg/kg, subcutaneous injection)-induced HF receiving vehicles, HF rats receiving empagliflozin (10 mg/kg/day orally for 28 consecutive days), and control rats. B averaged data present the results of serum levels of ß-hydroxybutyrate (statistic test by one − way ANOVA) in HF rats receiving vehicles (n = 5), HF rats receiving empagliflozin (n = 5), and control rats (n = 5). C Photographs reveal atrial fibrosis (stained with blue color) studied using Masson’s trichrome staining (statistic test by one − way ANOVA) in left atrium (LA) tissues from different groups. Control rats (n = 5) and HF rats receiving empagliflozin (n = 5) exhibited less severe LA fibrosis than vehicle-treated HF rats (n = 5). The fibrosis levels of LA tissues were expressed as the collagen volume fraction, that is, the ratio of the LA total collagen surface area stained blue to the LA total surface area. * p < 0.05, ^# p < 0.01, ^$ p < 0.005