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Sari et al. | Journal of Clinical and Translational Research 2024; 10(4): 246-255 251

A B

C D E

Figure 5. Haematoxylin and eosin staining of the cross-sectional tissue slices of the rat’s left ventricle: (A) normal rat tissue; (B) HF/HG/STZ;
(C) HF/HG/STZ+EMPA; (D) HF/HG/STZ+VitD; and (E) HF/HG/STZ+EMPA+VitD. Scale bars: 50 µm. Magnification: ×400
Abbreviations: HF/HG/STZ: High-fat/high-glucose/streptozotocin; EMPA: Empagliflozin; VitD: Vitamin D

Figure 6. Additive effect of combination therapy on reducing Figure 8. Synergistic effect of combination therapy on reducing
cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area TGF-β mRNA expression
Abbreviations: HF/HG/STZ: High-fat/high-glucose/streptozotocin; Abbreviations: HF/HG/STZ: High-fat/high-glucose/streptozotocin;
EMPA: Empagliflozin; VitD: Vitamin D EMPA: Empagliflozin; VitD: Vitamin D; TGF-β: Transforming
growth factor-β

Figure 7. Effect of EMPA, VitD, and combination therapy on TGF-β
mRNA expression
Abbreviation: HF/HG/STZ: High-fat/high-glucose/streptozotocin; Figure 9. Effect of EMPA, VitD, and combination therapy on collagen
EMPA: Empagliflozin; VitD: Vitamin D; TGF-β: Transforming deposition
growth factor-β Abbreviation: HF/HG/STZ: High-fat/high-glucose/streptozotocin;
EMPA: Empagliflozin; VitD: Vitamin D
Type I and III collagen, is a characteristic of cardiac fibrosis in
T2DM. Similarly, the expression of cardiac TGF-β is associated in experimental T2DM, suggesting a prominent role of TGF-β
with collagen deposition, myocardial stiffness, and diastolic signaling in the pathogenesis of DM-related heart failure [7].
dysfunction in diabetic rats [6]. Previous findings demonstrated Therefore, we measured the expression of TGF-β mRNA and
that diastolic dysfunction was ameliorated by inhibition of TGF-β collagen deposition to quantitatively assess cardiac fibrosis.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.36922/jctr.24.00010