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. 2012 Mar;3(3):433-436.
doi: 10.3892/etm.2011.426. Epub 2011 Dec 20.

Investigation of thrombospondin-1 and transforming growth factor-β expression in the heart of aging mice

Huabo Cai  1 , Zhanggen Yuan, Qing Fei, Jiayao Zhao
Affiliations

Investigation of thrombospondin-1 and transforming growth factor-β expression in the heart of aging mice

Huabo Cai et al. Exp Ther Med. 2012 Mar.

Abstract

Elderly patients face the problems of morbidity and mortality due to age-mediated disabilities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in aging mice, and its probable mechanism in the pathological changes of aging myocardium. The aging model group (AM) comprised 30-month-old mice, while the control group comprised 2-month-old mice. The pathological changes were explored by H&E staining, and the contents of superoxide dismulase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the hearts were determined by xanthine oxidation or TBA colorimetry. TSP-1 and TGF-β expression in the left ventricular myocardium was also measured by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the activities of SOD decreased and the MDA content increased markedly in the hearts of the AM group compared to the control group. H&E staining showed that the control group myocardial cells lined up in order with clear structure and stained equably, while the AM group myocardial cells lined up in disorder with an augmented cell body and the appearance of many granules and interstitial fibrosis. Compared to the control group, in the hearts of the AM group, TSP-1 and TGF-β protein expression in myocardial cells showed a significant increase (P<0.01). TSP-1 and TGF-β expression increased in the myocardium, which may be related to pathological changes of age-related heart diseases, such as hypertrophy, fibrosis of myocardial cells and microvessel dissepiment thickening.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Comparison of SOD and MDA levels in hearts of the AM and control groups. *P<0.05 vs. control.
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Comparison of SOD and MDA levels in hearts of the AM and control groups. *P<0.05 vs. control.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
H&E staining in the myocardium of the two groups. (A) Control group; (B) AM group.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
TSP-1 immunohistochemical staining in the myocardium of the two groups. (A) Control group; (B) AM group.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
TGF-β immunohistochemical staining in the myocardium of the two groups. (A) Control group; (B) AM group.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Comparison of the quantitative analysis of the number of TGF-β- and TSP-1-positive-immunostained myocardial cells in the AM and the control group. *P<0.01 vs. the control group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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