Fig 2: Cardiac function, remodeling and biomarker expression 8 weeks after tLAD and pLAD. (A) Representative MRI images of short axis in systole and diastole (upper panel). EF (%) 8 weeks after tLAD and pLAD, as determined by MRI (N=8-9). (B) Representative images of Masson's trichrome-stained transverse mid slices of LVs after 8 weeks follow up are shown (upper panel). (C) Quantification of percent LV fibrosis (lower panel, N=8-9), NPPA gene expression (left panel), and NT-proANP biomarker plasma levels (right panel). (D-F) The same as (C), but for, respectively (D) LGALS3/Gal-3, (E) GDF-15 and (F) TIMP-1 (N=6-10). Gene expression corrected for 36B4 and shown as fold changes relative to the 8 weeks sham group (N=6-9). Plasma levels N=8-9. Bars represent means. Error bars represent SEM. *P<0.05 versus control group. #P<0.05 versus tLAD. Black bar in (B) represents 2 mm.

Fig 3: HF biomarkers in visceral adipose tissue of hypertensive/obese mice. Gene expression changes are presented as fold change relative to LV levels in the LFD group (dashed lines). (A) NPPA gene expression (left) and ANP protein levels (right) in VAT. (B-D) The same for, respectively, (B) Gal-3, (C) GDF-15 and (D) TIMP-1. The dashed line shows the levels observed in the LV of the LFD group. N=4-10. Bars represent means. Error bars represent SEM. *P<0.05 versus LFD. #P<0.05 versus HFD.

Fig 4: Cardiac function, remodeling and biomarker expression 4 and 8 weeks after TAC. (A) Representative MRI images of short axis in systole and diastole (upper panel). EF (%) 8 weeks after tLAD and pLAD, as determined by MRI. (B) Representative images of mid-ventricular slices stained with FITC-WGA to determine cell size (upper panels). Quantification of cell size based on FITC-WGA staining (lower panel). (C) NPPA gene expression (left panel), and NT-proANP biomarker plasma levels (right panel). (D-F) The same as (C), but for, respectively (D) LGALS3/Gal-3, (E) GDF-15 and (F) TIMP-1. All analysis N=15-20 for sham, N=8-10 per TAC group. Bars represent means. Error bars represent SEM. *P<0.05 versus control group. #P<0.05 versus TAC 4 wks. Red bar in (B) represents 50 µm.

Fig 5: Animal model characteristics. A) ECG. ST-elevation (white arrow, right panel) immediately after ligation of the LAD confirms transmural myocardial infarction (representative recordings). Left panel: ECG prior to LAD ligation. Right panel: ECG immediately after ligation of the LAD. B) Echocardiography. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at days 1, 5 and 14 after myocardial infarction (day 1: control 88.3 ± 1.6% vs. ligation 65.6 ± 2.3%; day 5: control 85.1 ± 2.4% vs. ligation 52.9 ± 3.5%; day 14: control 87.7 ± 2.0% vs. ligation 47.4 ± 4.2%; n = 10). C) Plasma natriuretic peptides. NT pro-ANP elevation at days 1, 5, 14 after myocardial infarction (day 1: control 1.04 ± 0.21 nml/L vs. ligation 1.71 ± 0.24 nmol/L; day 5: control 1.67 ± 0.16 nmol/L vs. ligation 2.38 ± 0.35 nmol/L; day 14: control 1.67 ± 0.29 vs. ligation 3.02 ± 0.39; n = 9–10). D) Histopathology, representative short axis slices. Visualization of tissue myocardial remodeling after myocardial infarction at days 1, 5 and 14. Stainings are with hematoxylin and eosin (left column) and picro-sirius red (right column). The ischemic anterior wall (infarct zone – IZ) shows necrosis already at day 5 (*). After 14 days, the anterior wall is thinned and primarily constituted by connective tissue (infarct zone - IZ). Fibrosis is also obvious in the borderzone (BZ). The non-infarcted remote zone (RZ) responds with compensatory hypertrophy. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. Lig – ligation group; sham – control group. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)