Puerarin Protects against Cardiac Fibrosis Associated with the Inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad2-Mediated Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

Figure 3

Puerarin inhibited TGF-β1-induced EndMT in HUVECs. (a–g) HUVECs were preincubated with different concentrations of puerarin (10, 25, and 50 μM) for 30 min and then treated with TGF-β1 (10 ng/ml) for 48 h. mRNA levels of CD31, vimentin, α-SMA, collagen I, collagen III, CTGF, and Fn in indicated groups were tested by RT-PCR, normalized to GAPDH . versus control group; versus TGF-β1 group. (h) HUVECs were treated in the same way as mentioned above. The protein levels of CD31 and vimentin in cell lysates in indicated groups were tested by WB. versus control group; versus TGF-β1 group. (i) HUVECs were treated in the same way as mentioned above. Immunofluorescence colocalization of CD31 (red) and vimentin (green) counterstained with DAPI (blue) was carried out in indicated groups (scale bars: 200 μm).

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