Qingshen Buyang Formula Attenuates Renal Fibrosis in 5/6 Nephrectomized Rats via Inhibiting EMT and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway
Figure 3
Qingshen Buyang Formula reduced EMT induced by 5/6 nephrectomy. (a) Representative micrographs showed that the upexpression of ɑ-SMA in 5/6Nx group was downregulated by Qingshen Buyang Formula. Scale bar, 50 μm. (b) Representative micrographs showed that the downexpression of E-cadherin in 5/6Nx group was increased by Qingshen Buyang Formula. Scale bar, 50 μm. (c) Immunofluorescence showed that Qingshen Buyang Formula inhibited the overexpresssion of ɑ-SMA and simultaneously promoted the expression of E-cadherin. Scale bar, 20 μm. (d) Representative micrographs showed that the upexpression of Vimentin in 5/6Nx group was downregulated by Qingshen Buyang Formula. Scale bar, 50 μm. (e) Representative western blot analyses demonstrated that ɑ-SMA and Vimentin were overexpressed and E-cadherin was depressed in 5/6Nx group, which was reversed by Qingshen Buyang Formula. ((f)–(h)) Graphic presentation of western blot analyses in the three groups as indicated. P< 0.05, compared with the Sham group. # P< 0.05, compared with the 5/6Nx group. The error bars represent the standard deviation of measurements for 8 particles in three separate sample runs (n = 24).