AKAP13-ΔGEF mutant mice induced cardiac hypertrophy in response to chronic isoproterenol treatment.

<p>(A) Hearts from wild-type (WT) and AKAP13^ΔGEF/ΔGEF (ΔGEF) male mice showed hypertrophy with isoproterenol (Iso) treatment (60 mg/kg per day for 14 days). Three WT and three ΔGEF mice were treated with PBS vehicle (Veh), and four WT and six ΔGEF mice were treated with Iso; representative images are shown. White scale bar is 1 mm. Hearts were sectioned for histology and stained with (B) H&E or (C) Masson’s trichrome. (B) WT and ΔGEF left ventricular walls were thickened by Iso treatment (top). Higher magnification of the upper left ventricular wall (box) showed disruption of myocyte organization in Iso-treated hearts (bottom). (C) Fibrosis increased throughout the WT and ΔGEF hearts as assessed by Masson’s trichrome staining. Iso-treated ΔGEF hearts appeared to have more fibrosis than Iso-treated WT hearts. Higher magnification of the left ventricular wall (box) showed fibrosis within the myocardium (bottom). Black scale bars in B&C are 1 mm (top), 50 µm (B bottom), and 250 µm (C bottom).