Figure 4

Histological analysis of angiogenesis, apoptosis and fibrosis in hearts of lean and obese mice. Serial cross sections through the LV of WT, WT + HFD, LepR^S1138 and LepR^db/db mice (n = 10 per group) were immunostained and the number of (A) CD31-positive endothelial cells and (B) TUNEL-positive apoptotic cell nuclei determined. Results are expressed per cardiomyocyte and/or mm². (C) The degree of cardiac fibrosis was quantified after Masson’s trichrome (MTC) staining. Results are expressed as % of total tissue area (at 200-fold magnification). The mean ± SEM as well as representative findings are shown. **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001 vs. WT; #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01 and ###P < 0.001 vs. WT + HFD mice.