Fig. 1

Different types of cardiac fibrosis based on histopathological features of model rat preparations using Sirius-Red staining. A Replacement fibrosis is characterized by the sudden loss of large numbers of cardiomyocytes, mostly caused by myocardial infarction. B Interstitial fibrosis is characterized by increased collagen deposition in the cardiac interstitial space due to significantly reduced cardiomyocyte cells. C Perivascular fibrosis is characterized by expansion of the vascular adventitia matrix. D Illustration of cardiac fibrosis in the cardiac interstitial space influenced by the primary effector cells, i.e., myofibroblasts, and other mediators that play a role, such as macrophages, lymphocytes, mast cells, vascular endothelial cells, and cardiomyocytes. With written permission from Frangogiannis NG [51]