Fig. 4: Pontin inducible cardiomyocyte specific knockout in mice results in severe cardiomyopathy. | Nature Communications

Fig. 4: Pontin inducible cardiomyocyte specific knockout in mice results in severe cardiomyopathy.

From: Expression of foetal gene Pontin is essential in protecting heart against pathological remodelling and cardiomyopathy

Fig. 4: Pontin inducible cardiomyocyte specific knockout in mice results in severe cardiomyopathy.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

A Representative Western blot image of Pontin expression in cardiomyocytes (n = 3 mice in each group) and (B) cardiac fibroblasts from PontinicKO mice and WT controls, and quantification of band density (n = 4 mice in each group). C Serial echocardiography analysis was performed to asses cardiac function of PontinicKO mice. Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) was evaluated at 1,3 and 4 weeks after tamoxifen injection. Results showed significant reduction of EF in PontinicKO mice at 4 weeks after tamoxifen injection (n = 6 mice for αMCM, αMCM+tamoxifen (TAM) and αMCM Ponflox, n = 8 mice for PontinicKO αMCM Ponflox + TAM). D Analysis of Heart weight/body weight ratio indicated bigger heart size in PontinicKO mice (n = 6 mice for αMCM, αMCM+tamoxifen (TAM) and αMCM Ponflox, n = 8 mice for PontinicKO αMCM Ponflox + TAM). E Representative images of cardiac tissue section stained with hematoxyllin and eosin (scale bars = 20 µm) and (F) quantification of cardiomyocyte cross sectional area showing larger cardiomyocyte size in PontinicKO mice (n = 5 mice for αMCM and αMCM Ponflox, n = 6 mice for αMCM + TAM and αMCM Ponflox + TAM). G qPCR analysis of ANP mRNA level suggested higher level of cardiac ANP in PontinicKO (n = 5 mice for αMCM and αMCM Ponflox + TAM, n = 4 mice for αMCM + TAM, n = 6 mice for αMCM Ponflox). H Examples of Masson’s trichrome stained cardiac tissue sections (scale bars = 100 µm), (I) quantification of fibrotic area (n = 6 mice for αMCM, n = 7 mice for αMCM + TAM and αMCM Ponflox + TAM, n = 5 mice for αMCM Ponflox) and (J) qPCR analysis of collagen I level (n = 5 mice for αMCM and αMCM Ponflox + TAM, n = 4 mice for αMCM + TAM, n = 6 mice for αMCM Ponflox) indicated a significant increase of cardiac fibrosis in PontinicKO mice. K TUNEL staning followed by (L) quantification of TUNEL positive cells demonstrated enhanced apoptosis following Pontin deletion in cardiomyocytes in vivo (scale bars = 50 µm)(n = 6 mice for αMCM, n = 5 mice for αMCM + TAM and αMCM Ponflox, n = 7 mice for αMCM Ponflox + TAM). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical tests used: (A, B) two-tailed Student’s t-test, (C–L) one-way ANOVA followed by multiple comparisons test (Tukey’s). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

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