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Figure 1 (A) Bar graph demonstrating mean inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels in myocardial samples from all patients in this study, including control hearts without heart disease, patients with heart failure (HF) at the time of transplantation (HF-transplant), at the time of ventricular assist device (VAD) insertion (pre-VAD), and after VAD support (post-VAD). Levels of iNOS were quantified by Western blotting, correcting for the control protein, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). *p < 0.01 vs. control; p < 0.05 vs. HF-transplant and pre-VAD groups. (B) Representative iNOS Western blot from three patients with matched pre- and post-VAD myocardial samples. All three samples demonstrate a notable decrease in iNOS within the myocardium after VAD support. The corresponding Western blot for the control protein, GAPDH, performed on the same membrane, is shown in the lower panel. The positive control (Con) was cell lysate from cultured cardiomyocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. (C) Line graphs representing the change in iNOS protein levels from myocardial samples obtained from the same patient before and after VAD therapy (n = 7). Six of seven patients demonstrated a marked decrease in iNOS.