Fig. 7

NIF inhibits fibroblast activation. a, b Representative fluorescence staining images of α-SMA (green) and nuclei (blue) in NIH/3T3 and HPF cells treated with TGF-β1 or NIF for 24 h. Scale bars, 20 µm. c, d Left panel: representative western blot of α-SMA, Collagen I, p-Smad2/3, Smad2/3, and GAPDH from NIH/3T3 and HPF cells treated with TGF-β1 or NIF for 24 h. Right panel: bar graph showing the mean data from all subjects analysed in each group. e Representative fluorescence staining images of α-SMA (green) and nuclei (blue) in RPLFs stimulated with NIF (24 h). Scale bars, 20 µm. f Left panel: representative western blot of Collagen I, α-SMA, p-Stat3, Stat3, p-Smad2/3, Smad2/3, and GAPDH in RPLFs stimulated with NIF (24 h). Right panel: bar graph showing the mean data from all subjects analysed in each group. Statistical significance was assessed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. All data are shown as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments per condition; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001 vs. DMSO; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01, ^##P < 0.001 vs. TGF-β1