Journal: Molecular Therapy

Article Title: AAV9-mediated VEGF-B Gene Transfer Improves Systolic Function in Progressive Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

doi: 10.1038/mt.2012.145

Figure Lengend Snippet: The effect of AAV9-VEGF-B186 gene therapy on cell proliferation and apoptosis. AAV9-VEGF-B186 gene therapy (a,c,d) increased the number of proliferating cardiomyocytes and (b,e–h) decreased the number of apoptotic cardiomyocytes. Quantifications in a and b were done from five Ki-67 and cleaved caspase-3 microscopic fields, respectively, from each animal at ×400 magnification. Mean ± SEM, statistical analyses with Student's t-test, n = 4/group, *P < 0.05 (as shown in a,b), bars 25 µm (in c–f) and 50 µm (in g,h), Ki-67 staining for proliferating cells (c,d), and cleaved caspase-3 staining for apoptotic cells (e–h). AAV, adeno-associated virus; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.

Article Snippet: Myocardial fibrosis (Masson trichrome, Accustain trichrome stains; Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO), glycogen accumulation (Periodic acid Schiff's glycogen staining), proliferation (Ki-67, ab15580, dilution 1:200; Abcam, Cambridge, UK), apoptosis (Cleaved Caspase-3, Asp175, dilution 1:250; Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA), angiogenesis (endothelium staining, Biotinylated Griffonia (Bandeiraea) Simplicifolia Lectin I, dilution 1:100; Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA), and ANP (N-20, SC-18811, dilution 1:100; Santa Cruz Biotechnologies, Santa Cruz, CA) were analyzed from 5 μm thick paraffin-embedded sections fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in 7.5% sucrose for 4 hours.

Techniques: Staining, Virus