Low Molecular Weight Fucoidan Alleviates Cardiac Dysfunction in Diabetic Goto-Kakizaki Rats by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis

Figure 4

LMWF reduced apoptosis in the cardiac tissue of diabetic GK rats. (a) Representative micrographs of the TUNEL assay. I represents negative control group without TUNEL reaction mixture, II represents control group, III and IV represent DM group, and V and VI represent diabetic rats administered with 50 and 100 mg/kg/day LMWF, respectively (scale bar = 50 μm, in each group). The black lined-boxes (in I, II, and IV) were shown by high-magnification micrographs of VII, VIII, and IX, respectively. Bold arrows show the nuclei of blood cells while thin arrows show the nuclei of cardiomyocytes. (b) Statistical analysis of the percentage of apoptotic cells in each group by randomly selected 9 fields from each micrograph. (c) Western blots showing the expression of Bax and PARP in heart tissues of each group. The densitometry value of Bax and cleaved PARP was normalized to that of GAPDH and data are presented as the mean ± SEM. The statistical analysis was performed. versus control group; , versus DM group. in each group.

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