Journal: Respiratory Research

Article Title: Fibroblast growth factor 10 attenuates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by protecting against glycocalyx impairment and endothelial apoptosis

doi: 10.1186/s12931-022-02193-5

Figure Lengend Snippet: Endothelial glycocalyx impairment is involved in SU5416-induced rat emphysema model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (~ 300 g) were treated with VEGF-R antagonist SU5416 (20 mg/kg) subcutaneously 3 times per week for 3 weeks. A Representative haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining images of airspace. Scale bar = 50 μm. Alveolar size was measured by mean linear intercept (MLI) (n = 5). B Cleaved caspase-3 antibody was used as the mark of cell apoptosis. Group data of cleaved caspase-3 positive cells per field (n = 5). Scale bar = 50 μm. C Representative immunofluorescence staining images of rat lung sections. Heparan sulfate and Chondroitin sulfate antibodies were used as glycocalyx specific antigens, and CD31 was used as the mark of endothelial cell. Nuclei were visualized with 4ʹ,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Scale bar = 20 μm. Quantitative analysis of fluorescence intensity for heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and syndecan-1 (n = 5). D ELISA analysis of blood and BALF samples (n = 5). * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001. n.s., not significant

Article Snippet: Each cigarette smoke exposure duration lasted 1 h with an interval time between two exposures more than 4 h. (2) Rat emphysema model: To induce the emphysema formation in animals, the pan-vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor (VEGF-R) inhibitor SU5416 (20 mg/kg; MedChemExpress) suspended in solution (10% DMF mixed with 90% coin-oil; both obtained from MedChemExpress) was injected subcutaneously 3 times per week for 3 weeks. (3) Cigarette Smoke Extract (CSE)-induced mouse emphysema model: The emphysema mouse model was built according to the protocol of the previous study [ ].

Techniques: Staining, Immunofluorescence, Fluorescence, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay

Journal: Cardiovascular Research

Article Title: Targeting RUNX1 as a novel treatment modality for pulmonary arterial hypertension

doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvac001

Figure Lengend Snippet: Inhibition of RUNX1 in vivo prevents the development of Sugen/hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (SuHx-PH) in rats. ( A ) Experimental protocol for prevention of SuHx-PH in rats shows administration of the RUNX1 inhibitor Ro5-3335 (Ro5) every other day for three times at the beginning of SuHx treatment. SU5416: VEGF receptor 2 antagonist Sugen 5416. ( B and C ) Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) ( B ) and the Fulton’s index (right ventricle to left ventricle + septum, RV/LV+S ratio) ( C ) were measured 1 week after removal from 3 weeks of hypoxia (Hx). ( D – F ) Representative microscopic images of 100× magnification show immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in brown colour of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the blood vessels from lungs of normoxia control (Nx Ctrl) rats ( D ), vehicle DMSO-treated SuHx rats ( E ), and 20 mg/kg Ro5-treated SuHx rats ( F ). ( G ) Muscularization of distal pulmonary vessels less than 50 µm in diameter was assessed by calculating the muscularization index defined as the total area of the vessel that stained positive for α-SMA divided by total cross-sectional area of the vessel. ( H – J ) Representative small blood vessels stained in brown colour of α-SMA, which are labelled with a red asterisk in ( D – F ), are shown in 600× magnification: ( H ) Nx Ctrl rats; ( I ) vehicle DMSO-treated SuHx rats; and ( J ) Ro5-treated SuHx rats. ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001, **** P < 0.0001, n.s.: not significant, ordinary one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons, n = number of animals in each experimental group.

Article Snippet: Subsequent SuHx treatment consisted of 3 weekly subcutaneous injections of the Sugen VEGF receptor 2 inhibitor SU5416 at 20 mg/kg in 100 μL DMSO or vehicle alone.

Techniques: Inhibition, In Vivo, Immunohistochemical staining, Immunohistochemistry, Control, Staining