Figure 1

Panel (a), 7 days after AMI, eNOS was significantly increased in AMI groups when compared with group S, and the three atorvastatin groups presented higher augmentation of eNOS. (S: 0.16±0.06, B: 0.53±0.11*, A: 0.98±0.18*#, AL: 1.03±0.16*#, AA: 0.95±0.15*#). Similar result was observed in p-eNOS (S: 0.28±0.09, B: 0.56±0.13*, A: 0.89±0.20*#, AL: 0.91±0.83*#, AA: 0.83±0.16*#). (*: P<0.01 vs. group S, #: P<0.01 vs. group B). As shown in panel (b) and (c), one day after AMI, AMI groups showed slightly higher level of NO production than group S (S: 5.11±0.78, B: 5.56±0.66, A: 5.71±0.81, AL: 5.62±0.86, AA: 5.69±0.68, P=0.042 vs. group S). Similar trend was also observed in SDF-1α expression (S: 7.12±0.57, B: 7.43±0.71, A: 7.37±0.66, AL: 7.51±0.62, AA: 7.47±0.73, P=0.044 vs. group S). Seven days after AMI, NO production was significantly increased in three atorvastatin groups when compared with group B, while increment in group A+L-NAME was abrogated (S: 5.12±1.10, B: 5.36±0.98, A: 9.89±0.86*#, AL: 7.01±1.03*#$, AA: 9.60±0.92*#). SDF-1α expression in three atorvastatin groups was also increased when compared with group B, while the increment was reduced in group A+L-NAME after NO production was diminished by L-NAME (S: 6.91±0.67, B: 7.22±0.89, A: 12.73±1.23*#, AL:10.51±0.95*#$, AA:11.59±1.16*#). (*: P<0.01 vs. group S, #: P<0.01 vs. group B, $: P<0.01 vs. group A and group AA). As shown in panel (d), 7 days after AMI, CXCR4 was significantly increased in all three atorvastatin groups. (S: 0.19±0.08, B: 0.23±0.13, A: 0.79±0.21*#, AL: 0.52±0.17*#$, AA: 0.73±0.19*#). Similar result was observed in STAT3 (S: 0.13±0.09, B: 0.20±0.10, A: 0.62±0.15*#, AL: 0.37±0.11*#$, AA: 0.33±0.13*#$). (*: P<0.01 vs. group S, #: P<0.01 vs. group B, $: P<0.01 vs. group A) All the measurements were repeated for 3 times to figure out arithmetic average. S=Sham operated group; B=Blank control group; A=Atorvastatin group; AL=Atorvastatin+L-NAME group; AA=Atorvastatin+AMD3100 group.