Fig. 3From: Non-neuronal cardiac acetylcholine system playing indispensable roles in cardiac homeostasis confers resiliency to the heartChATKD hearts show an elevation in heart failure markers, morphological changes in the ventricle, and enhanced reactive oxygen species with DNA damage. a The ANP and BNP mRNA levels are both increased in ChATKD hearts (P = 0.014 and 0.043, respectively). Furthermore, the ANP protein expression levels are upregulated in the ChATKD hearts (P = 0.032). b Masson’s trichrome staining displays the ChATKD hearts possessing characteristic fibrosis (black arrowheads) in the ventricles. Scale bar: 50 μm. c The expression levels of glucose utilization-related factors, i.e., HIF-1α (P = 0.007), pAkt/Akt (P = 0.010), and Glut4 (P = 0.014) are lower in the ChATKD hearts than in the control hearts. Cardiac ATP levels are lower in ChATKD mice than in control mice (P = 0.012). d Reciprocally, the PDK4 expression levels are higher in the ChATKD hearts (P = 0.019); in contrast, the PGC-1 (P = 0.028) and VEGF levels (P = 0.019) are lower in the ChATKD hearts. e ChATKD mice upregulate gluconeogenesis in the liver. Hepatic mRNA levels of G6Pase (P = 0.005) and PEPCK (P = 0.006) are higher in ChATKD mice than in control mice, and each protein expression also shows the same increasing trend (P < 0.05); however, this is in contrast to the ChAT tg mice, which reciprocally downregulate gluconeogenesis in the liver (G6Pase, P = 0.0008; PEPCK, P < 0.0001). f VEGF immunoreacted endothelial cells (white arrowheads) appear reduced in the ChATKD hearts. Immunoreactivity of von Willebrand factor (black arrowheads) is attenuated in ChATKD hearts. Scale bar: 50 μm. CD34 signal levels in the heart are also attenuated in ChATKD mice compared with those in control mice. Scale bar: 10 μm. g ChATKD hearts are more exposed to augmentation of the ROS production through MDA (P = 0.019), nitrotyrosine stain intensity associated with the increased protein expression levels (P = 0.026), and γ-H2A expression (P = 0.027), but reciprocally attenuated SOD activity (P = 0.033), than the control hearts. Scale bar: 20 μmBack to article page