Capillary density.

<p>A) Representative micrographs of left ventricular cross-sections (6 µm thickness) showing capillary vessels in all groups (as visualized by FITC-labeled lectin, scale bar represents 100 µm). B) Vessel density quantification assessed by computer-based image analysis is shown in 4b (*p<0.01, shown as mean±SE). As a physiologic response to chronic hypoxia, sham operated animals showed a significant increase in capillary density. Animals with left ventricular hypertrophy showed a relative decrease in capillary density under normoxia. Chronic hypoxia failed to induce an increase of capillary density in hypertrophying LV myocardium.