Figure 3

The effect of SR141716 on HSC proliferation, gene expression and apoptosis. (A) DNA synthesis, assessed by BrdU incorporation after 48 h treatment with SR141716; (B) αSMA, PCα1(I) TGFβ1, TIMP-1, MMP-13 mRNA expression, measured by TaqMan PCR and normalized to GAPDH. Cell toxicity of (C) SR141716 (magnification 10×), evaluated by (D) LDH leakage, (E) Trypan Blue stain, and apoptosis markers caspase-3 (cleaved and total) and (F) bax, measured by Western blotting after 48 h treatment with SR141716 (mean ± SD; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.005).