Cardioprotective c-kit⁺ cells are from the bone marrow and regulate the myocardial balance of angiogenic cytokines
J. Clin. Invest. Shafie Fazel, et al. 116:1865 doi:10.1172/JCI27019 [Go to this article.]

Figure 3
c-kit dysfunction is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy after MI. (A)Coronary ligation results in a similar volume of myocardium being at risk for infarction and a similar volume becoming necrotic within 24 hours. n =3–4 per group. (B) Actuarial survival is worse in the Kit^W/Kit^W–v mice after coronary ligation. n =86 per group. (C) Echocardiography shows rapid decline in cardiac systolic function (fractional area contraction) and rapid ventricular dilation (left ventricular end diastolic diameter in the mutant mice). n =5 per group. *P <0.05. (D) Representative pressure-volume loops of uninfarcted (D0) and infarcted (day 14, D14) Kit^+/+ and Kit^W/Kit^W–v mice. n =5 per group. Volume is indicated on the x axis and pressure on the y axis. (E) Representative perfusion-fixed hearts before (D0) and 6 weeks after (D42) coronary ligation. Note the ventricular dilation in the Kit^W/Kit^W–v mouse. n =5 per group. (F) Representative H&E-stained mid-papillary transverse myocardial sections depicting the pronounced ventricular dilation and larger infarct size in the Kit^W/Kit^W–v mice. n =5 per group.