Silencing of TLR4 Inhibits Atrial Fibrosis and Susceptibility to Atrial Fibrillation via Downregulation of NLRP3-TGF-β in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Figure 3

Silencing of TLR4 alleviated atrial fibrosis. (a) Representative hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stain of rat left atrial tissue sections (200x). (b) Representative Masson’s trichrome stain of rat left atrial tissue sections (200x). (c) Expression of collagen I protein was detected by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in left atrial tissue; scale  μm. (d) IHC staining for collagen III in magnified views; scale  μm. (e) Volume fraction of collagen was quantified by Masson stain; data are representative of six samples per group. (f) Expression of collagen I protein was quantified by immunohistochemistry; data are representative of six samples per group. (g) Expression of collagen III protein was quantified by immunohistochemistry; data are representative of six samples per group. All the aforementioned data are represented as . Statistical analyses: values were evaluated by ANOVA, followed by a post hoc Tukey’s test. versus the control group; ^# versus the SHR group; ^& versus the SHR+vehicle group; significantly different as indicated.