Journal: bioRxiv
Article Title: CD163⁺/Dab2⁺ Macrophages Alleviate Cardiac Hypertrophy via Nrg2/ErbB4-Mediated Mitochondrial Reprogramming
doi: 10.1101/2025.05.22.655661
Figure Lengend Snippet: A, Schematic diagram illustrating the experimental design involving the injection of recombinant Nrg2 and inhibitor AG1478 into a mouse model of cardiac hypertrophy. Wildtype mice at 6 weeks of age were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) or Sham surgery. After 1 week, recombinant Nrg2 or Nrg2 and inhibitor AG1478 were continuously administered into the mice for 7 days. These mice groups were denoted as Sham, TAC, TAC+Nrg2, and TAC+Nrg2+AG1478. B, Representative images of hearts at 8 weeks post-surgery from mice subjected to Sham or TAC surgery and injected with recombinant Nrg2 or Nrg2 and inhibitor AG1478. C, Heart weight/body weight (HW/BW) ratios at 8 weeks post-surgery for mice subjected to Sham or TAC surgery and injected with recombinant Nrg2 or Nrg2 and inhibitor AG1478 (Sham, n=8; TAC, n=7; TAC+Nrg2, n=8; TAC+Nrg2+AG1478, n=8). ** P <0.01; *** P <0.001; ns, not significant. D and E, M-mode echocardiography images (D) and quantified parameters (E) of the left ventricular (LV) chamber at 8 weeks post-surgery in mice subjected to Sham or TAC surgery and injected with recombinant Nrg2 or Nrg2 and inhibitor AG1478 (Sham, n=8; TAC, n=7; TAC+Nrg2, n=8; TAC+Nrg2+AG1478, n=8). ** P <0.01; *** P <0.001; ns, not significant. EF, ejection fraction; FS, fractional shortening; CO, cardiac output. F, Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) (scale bar=1 mm) and Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining (scale bar=50 μm) showing morphology and cell boundaries of heart sections 8 weeks after TAC with indicated treatment regimens. G, Quantification of the cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas of the indicated groups (n=6 mice per group). *** P <0.001; ns, not significant. H, The mRNA levels of hypertrophic marker genes Anp, Bnp, Myh7 and Acta1 in hearts of the indicated groups (n=6 mice per group). * P <0.05; *** P <0.001; ns, not significant. I, The mRNA levels of fibrosis marker genes Col1a1, Col3a1, Ctgf and MMP9 in hearts of the indicated groups (n=6 mice per group). * P <0.05; ** P <0.01; *** P <0.001; ns, not significant. J, Masson’s trichrome staining showing fibrosis in heart sections 8 weeks after TAC with indicated treatment regimens. Scale bar=50 μm. K, Quantification of cardiac fibrosis in tissue shown in panel J (n=6 mice per group). * P <0.05; *** P <0.001.
Article Snippet: For the activation and blockade of the Nrg2 and ErbB4 pathway, 1 week after TAC surgery, mice were randomized and continuously treated with either vehicle or recombinant Nrg2 (produced by our lab) at a dosage of 500 μg/kg/d and inhibitor AG1478 (HY-13524, MCE) at a dosage of 10 mg/kg/d for 7 days.
Techniques: Injection, Recombinant, Staining, Marker