Qiliqiangxin Improves Cardiac Function through Regulating Energy Metabolism via HIF-1α-Dependent and Independent Mechanisms in Heart Failure Rats after Acute Myocardial Infarction

Figure 6

QL treatment promoted myocardial angiogenesis. (a) CD31 immunofluorescence staining (20x, ) showed that QL significantly increased myocardial angiogenesis, which was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with the HIF-1α inhibitor. Red indicates CD31-positive signals; blue indicates DAPI nuclei. The newborn capillary density was quantified as the number per high-power field (/group). Western blot analysis showed that QL significantly upregulated myocardial VEGF (b), VEGFR2 (c), and CD31 (d) protein expressions, while pretreatment with the HIF-1α inhibitor attenuated these effects (/group). Data from at least four independent experiments were calculated and expressed as . and compared with the sham group; ^# and ^## compared with the MI group; ^&& compared with the MI+QL group.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)