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Figure 2 Schematic Illustrating How Fibrosis Disrupts Myocyte Coupling

Cardiomyocytes in normal myocardial tissue (A) are electrically coupled primarily in an end-to-end fashion by intercellular gap-junctional complexes. Reactive fibrosis results in extracellular matrix expansion between bundles of myocytes (B), while reparative fibrosis replaces degenerating myocytes (C). Both patterns of collagen distribution become exaggerated during structural remodeling. Figure illustration by Rob Flewell.