LV collagen volume fractions and collagen crosslinking was increased in diabetic (<i>db/db)</i> mouse hearts.

<p>LV collagen volume fractions were determined from picric acid sirius red (PASR) stained mid ventricle for non-diabetic (<i>db/wt</i>) and diabetic (<i>db/db</i>) mice. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0072080#pone-0072080-g001" target="_blank"><b>Figure 1a</b></a> shows representative photographs of PASR stained diabetic (<i>db/db</i>) mouse hearts under brightfield and polarized light microscopy. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0072080#pone-0072080-g001" target="_blank"><b>Figure 1b</b></a> shows representative photographs of PASR stained of non-diabetic (<i>db/wt</i>) mouse hearts under brightfield and polarized light microscopy. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0072080#pone-0072080-g001" target="_blank"><b>Figure 1c</b></a> depicts a significant increase in PASR stained collagen fibrils in <i>db/db</i> LVs (*p<0.05; n = 11 hearts per group). LV collagen crosslinks were determined from subsequent digestions of pepsin-acetic acid and HCl hydrolysis. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0072080#pone-0072080-g001" target="_blank"><b>Figure 1d</b></a> depicts a significant increase in crosslinked collagen in <i>db/db</i> as measured by hydroxyproline concentrations. NG = normoglycemic media; HG = hyperglycemic media (*p<0.05; n = 11 hearts per group).