Fig. 1. NO/cGMP increase sarcoglycan production by intra-arterially delivered mesoangioblasts. Mesoangioblasts (5x10⁵) pretreated for 12 hours without (NT) or with DETA-NO (20 µM), IMN (50 µM), 8-Br-cGMP (1 mM) or DETA-NO plus ODQ (1 µM) were injected into the right femoral artery of 4-month-old SG-null mice. Mice were sacrificed after 21 days and quadriceps (Qd), gastrocnemius (Gs) and soleus (So) muscles collected. (A) SG mRNA expression, an index of mesoangioblast homing, was measured by real-time PCR. Values ± s.e.m. are expressed as the percentage of the total injected cells (n=3). (B,C) SG expression, evaluated by western blot analysis (B, showing both a representative western blot image and densitometric values, n=3) and immunohistological detection (C, representative of three consistent experiments). The graph in B reports the ratio of densitometric values ± s.e.m. of SG vs. those of glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) used as an internal loading control. Triple asterisks and crosses, P<0.001 vs NT and DETA-NO-treated cells, respectively. Bar in C, 400 µm.