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Figure 2 rhNRG-1 improves echocardiographically determined cardiac dimensions and performance after coronary artery ligation. (Upper panel) Diagrammatic schema of treatment protocols. (Lower panel) Cardiac dimensions and performance. Protocol I (panels A to D): 1 week after left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation, the rats received no treatment (sham-operated group, black bars, n = 10), vehicle (red bars, n = 12), or rhNRG-1 (10 µg/kg IV daily, blue bars, n = 13) for 5 days (Day 5 group) or 10 days (Day 10 group) with echocardiographic evaluation at the end of these treatment periods. Protocol II (panels E to H): as for Protocol I, except that vehicle (n = 15) or rhNRG-1 (n = 30) treatment was commenced 2 months after LAD ligation and continued for 5 days (Day 5 group) or 10 days (Day 10 group). The sham-operated group received no treatment (n = 20). LVEDD = left ventricular end-diastolic diameter; LVESD = left ventricular end-systolic diameter; EF = ejection fraction; FS = fraction shortening; other abbreviations as in Figure 1. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 versus vehicle.