Salvia miltiorrhiza and Carthamus tinctorius Extract Prevents Cardiac Fibrosis and Dysfunction after Myocardial Infarction by Epigenetically Inhibiting Smad3 Expression

Figure 3

SCE attenuates myocardial fibrosis in heart tissue after MI. (a) RT-qPCR analysis for mRNA expression of collagen type I alpha 1 (Col1a1), collagen type III alpha 1 (Col3a1), actin, alpha 2 smooth muscle (Acta2), Mmp2, and Mmp9 in the border area (BA) and remote area (RA) 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days after MI. (b) Immunoblot analysis of protein expressions of α-SMA, collagen I, and collagen III in RA and BA in the heart tissues 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days after MI. Data are from three independent experiments ((a), mean ± SEM) or are representative of three independent experiments with similar results (b). P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, ANOVA with LSD t-test.

(a)

(b)