Effects of nicorandil on cardiac myocyte apoptosis in the RV myocardium.

<p>Apoptotic cardiomyocytes were detected by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining in RV tissue from rats. Green fluorescence shows TUNEL-positive nuclei; blue fluorescence shows nuclei of total cardiomyocytes. (A–D) Representative photomicrographs of TUNEL-stained cells (white arrow) in RV at the first week after MCT injection. (E) Quantitative analysis of TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes as the percentage of total cell number in right ventricles of the CON, MCT, Nico, and Nico+5-HD groups at 1–3 weeks post-MCT injection. Abbreviations are the same as those used in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0044485#pone-0044485-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>. Representative photomicrographs of TUNEL-stained cells in RV in different groups at the second and third week after MCT injection are not shown. Details of treatment groups are given in the legend of <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0044485#pone-0044485-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>. Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 4). *<i>P</i><0.05 relative to the control group, #<i>P</i><0.05 relative to the MCT-treated group. +<i>P</i><0.05 relative to the nicorandil-treated group. Scale bars = 20 µm.