Pathology of left ventricle.

<p>A: Representative short-axis sections of cardiac ventricle stained with Masson-trichrome. Scale bar: 1000 μm. B: Representative short-axis images of myocardium and intramuscular arteries with perivascular and interstitial fibrosis stained with Masson-trichrome. Scale bar: 50 μm. C: Representative short-axis images of myocardium and interstitial fibrosis stained with Masson-trichrome. Scale bar: 50 μm. D: Representative short-axis images of the myocardium stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Scale bar: 50 μm. E: Ratio of fibrosis area/myocardium. F: Mean diameter of cardiomyocytes at 16 weeks of age. Normal salt = NS, Excessively low salt = ELS, *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01.</p

Expression of cardiac tissue ERK1/2, phospho-ERK1/2, p38MAPK, phospho-p38MAPK, HSP27, phospho-HSP27,TGF-ß1.

<p>Normal salt = NS, Excessively low salt = ELS, *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01.</p

Proposed mechanism of excessively low salt diet-induced cardiac damage.

<p>Proposed mechanism of excessively low salt diet-induced cardiac damage.</p

Changes in the body weight, heart weight, and heart weight/body weight ratio.

<p>Changes in the body weight, heart weight, and heart weight/body weight ratio.</p

Expression of cardiac tissue renin, (pro) renin receptor, and angiotensinogen and angiotensin II AT1 receptor.

<p>Normal salt = NS, Excessively low salt = ELS, *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01.</p

Excessively low salt diet damages the heart through activation of cardiac (pro) renin receptor, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, and sympatho-adrenal systems in spontaneously hypertensive rats - Fig 4

<p>A: plasma renin activity. B: plasma angiotensin I concentration. C: plasma angiotensin II concentration. D: plasma aldosterone concentration. E: plasma noradrenaline concentration. F: plasma adrenaline concentration.</p

Echocardiographic findings.

<p>A: Interventricular septum (IVS) thickness at 8 and 16 weeks of age. B: LV fractional shortening (FS) at 8 and 16 weeks of age.</p

Time course changes in the systolic blood pressure and heart rate in response to the excessively low salt diet in the WKY and SHR groups.

<p>Time course changes in the systolic blood pressure and heart rate in response to the excessively low salt diet in the WKY and SHR groups.</p