Comparative study of the effect of verapamil and vitamin D on iron overload-induced oxidative stress and cardiac structural changes in adult male rats  Eman S.H. Abd Allah, Marwa A. Ahmed, Asmaa Fathi Abdel Mola  Pathophysiology  Volume 21, Issue 4, Pages 293-300 (November 2014) DOI: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2014.06.002 Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. Terms and Conditions

Fig. 1 ECG changes in all studied groups. Speed is 50mm/s amplitude is 10mm/mV. Pathophysiology 2014 21, 293-300DOI: (10.1016/j.pathophys.2014.06.002) Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. Terms and Conditions

Fig. 2 Photomicrographs of longitudinal sections of the left ventricle of control (1), iron overload (2), iron overload+verapamil (3) and iron overload+vitamin D (4) (1000×). Sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (a), Masson trichrome stain (b), and Perls’ Prussian blue stain (c). Control group shows normal cardiomyocytes (elongated), branched (arrow heads) with central oval nuclei (N) and their cytoplasm is acidophilic and show cross striation (1a) with few collagen fibers among the cardiomyocytes (arrows) (1b) and negative reaction for iron particles (1c). Iron overload group shows degenerated cardiomyocytes with marked inflammatory cell infiltration (arrows) (2a) with increased collagen fibers among the degenerated cardiomyocytes (arrows) (2b) and positive reaction for iron particles (arrow heads) (2c). Iron overload+verapamil group appeared more or less like control group; more or less normal cardiomyocytes but with mild inflammatory cell infiltration (arrow heads) (3a), few collagen fibers among the cardiomyocytes (3b) with mild positive reaction for iron particles (arrow head) (3c). Iron overload+vitamin D appeared more or less like iron overload group; degenerated cardiomyocytes but with less inflammatory cell infiltration (arrows) (4a) with increased collagen fibers among the degenerated cardiomyocytes (arrows) (4b) and positive reaction for iron particles (arrow heads) (4c). Pathophysiology 2014 21, 293-300DOI: (10.1016/j.pathophys.2014.06.002) Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. Terms and Conditions

Fig. 3 Cav1.2 immunolabelling in the left ventricle of control (a), iron overload (b), iron overload+verapamil (c) and iron overload+vitamin D (d) (1000×), showing weak positive reaction in the form of small dark brown granules (arrow heads) in control group (a), strong positive reaction to Cav1.2 as compared to control group with obvious coarse brown clumps (arrow heads) in iron overload group (b), weak positive reaction to Cav1.2 antibody more or less similar to the control group (arrow heads) in iron overload group with verapamil group (c) and strong positive reaction to Cav1.2 antibody more or less similar to iron overload group (arrow heads) in iron overload+vitamin D group (d). Pathophysiology 2014 21, 293-300DOI: (10.1016/j.pathophys.2014.06.002) Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. Terms and Conditions