Moreover, cardiac fibrosis, assessed by image analysis of Masson’s trichrome (MT)-stained heart specimens and commonly observed in other DCM models including PLN (R9C) and Lmna−/−, was not significantly induced in Ttn shRNA transduced mice (shRNA-1, MT = 1.08 ± 0.21%, n = 7, P = ns; shRNA-2, MT = 1.20 ± 0.61%, n = 7, P = ns) relative to control shRNA-transduced mice (MS = 1.00 ± 0.24%, n = 9) (Fig. 1E)6,19,22. This evidence concerns the gene TTN and familial dilated cardiomyopathy.