Research Paper Volume 15, Issue 21 pp 11740—11763

Figure 3. 1,5-AF activates pAMPK/PGC-1α/BDNF pathway and prolongs survival in high-salt-water SHRSPs. Kaplan–Meier survival curves in 1,5-AF and control rats, according to log-rank test (A) (1,5-AF: n = 12, control: n = 12). 1,5-AF treatment reduced mortality. Blood pressure at 15 weeks in rats used for survival analysis (B) (1,5-AF: n = 12, control: n = 12) and in rats used for tissue collection (C) (1,5-AF: n = 8, control: n = 8). Blood pressure at 15 weeks of age was consistently lower in 1,5-AF rats than in control rats. Body weight (D) (1,5-AF: n = 12, control: n = 12), rotarod test results (E) (1,5-AF: n = 12, control: n = 12), soleus muscle weight (F) (1,5-AF: n = 12, control: n = 12), and tibialis anterior muscle weight (G) (1,5-AF: n = 12, control: n = 12). Body weight did not differ between groups. Rotarod tests revealed greater walking time in 1,5-AF rats. Soleus and tibialis anterior muscle weights were lower in control rats than in 1,5-AF rats. Immunoblot analysis (H) revealed that protein levels of pAMPK (I), PGC-1α (J), and BDNF (K) were higher in 1,5-AF rats than in control rats (1,5-AF: n = 6, control: n = 6). Photomicrographs of PGC-1α and BDNF immunoreactivity (1,5-AF: n = 8, control: n = 8) (L). PGC-1α (M) and BDNF (N) expression was greater in 1,5-AF rats than in control rats. Data are shown as the mean ± standard error. ^*p < 0.05, ^**p < 0.01, ^***p < 0.001. Scale bar = 50 μm.