Fig. 6: In vivo cardiomyogenic and vasculogenic effects of PLGF modRNA-enhanced HPs. | Nature Communications

Fig. 6: In vivo cardiomyogenic and vasculogenic effects of PLGF modRNA-enhanced HPs.

From: Placental growth factor exerts a dual function for cardiomyogenesis and vasculogenesis during heart development

Fig. 6

a In vivo human heart progenitor (HP)-derived cardiac muscle grafts on murine kidney capsules (arrow) were generated by transplantation of hESC-derived HPs. b Comparison of the weights of the non-transfected (NoTF) HP-, GFP modRNA (modGFP)-transfected HP-, and PLGF modRNA (modPLGF)-transfected HP-engrafted kidneys. c Immunohistochemistry of the sectioned human HP-derived cardiac muscle grafts on murine kidney capsules, generated by NoTF HPs (left) and modPLGF-transfected HPs (right). The grafts (Gr) were indicated by white dotted lines in the left images, respectively. The right image in each is the enlarged one of a yellow square in the left image, respectively. Scale bars, 500 μm (left in each) and 100 μm (right in each). Kid, kidney; VIM, vimentin. d Quantitative data of the entire graft areas (left) and TNNT2+ areas in grafts (right) in the three groups, i.e., NoTF-, modGFP-, and modPLGF-HPs. Quantitative analyses were conducted using ImageJ/FIJI software (NIH, USA). e Immunohistochemistry of the sectioned human HP-derived cardiac muscle grafts on murine kidney capsules generated by NoTF HPs (left) and modPLGF-transfected HPs (right), highlighting a CM maturation marker MLC2V and a proliferation marker Ki67. Scale bars, 100 μm. f Quantitative data of MLC2V+ areas in grafts (left) and Ki67+ density in grafts (right) in the three groups. g Immunohistochemistry of the sectioned human HP-derived cardiac muscle grafts on murine kidney capsules generated by NoTF HPs (left) and modPLGF-transfected HPs (right), highlighting an EC marker VE-cadherin (VEC) and a SMC marker α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA). The right image in each is the enlarged one of a yellow square in the left image, respectively. Scale bars, 100 μm (left in each) and 50 μm (right in each). h Quantitative data of VEC+ areas in grafts in the three groups. Data in b, d, f, and h are presented as mean ± SD (n = 4–5 biologically independent samples). Differences between groups were examined with one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey multiple comparisons test. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01 between modPLGF-transfected HP-engrafted kidneys vs. NoTF HP- or modGFP-transfected HP-engrafted kidneys. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

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