(A) Histological analyses of heart sections stained with PSR (scale bar, 50 µm) from the indicated groups 5 weeks after sham or TAC surgery, n=6 mice per group. (B) Comparison of the LV-collagen volume in the indicated groups. (C–E) Transcript levels of fibrotic marker genes (col1a1, col3a1, ctgf) in the indicated groups, n=4 mice per group. (F,G) Protein levels and statistical quantification of the fibrotic markers’ proteins (Collagen I, Collagen III and CTGF) in the indicated groups, n=4 mice per group. GAPDH was used as the internal control in (C–F). *, P<0.05; **, P<0.01; n.s., no significance, P>0.05.