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Figure 3 Effect of HO-1 gene transfer on ventricular remodeling and fibrosis after repeated I/R. (A) Masson Trichrome staining shows significant anterior wall thinning and collagen deposition two weeks after the last ischemic episode in lacZ-treated animals in contrast to HO-1–treated rats with decreased collagen deposition. Quantification of the fibrotic area as a percentage of total left ventricular area shows significant attenuation of fibrosis in the HO-1–treated animals as compared to saline or lacZ-treated controls. (n = 4/group, * vs. saline and lacZ, p < 0.05) (B) Representative alpha-smooth muscle actin antibody staining demonstrates positive staining both in vessel walls as well as in the myocardium in lacZ-treated animals indicating higher phenotypic conversion to cardiac fibroblasts as compared to HO-1–treated animals, which demonstrated positive staining only in the vessel walls. Abbreviations as in Figure 1.