Figure 2

Lnc-PCF promoted fibrogenesis in vitro. (a) α-SMA, which is a physiological marker of fibrogenesis, was observed under a laser scanning confocal microscope. The lnc-PCF smart silencer can reduce α-SMA expression compared with TGF-β1-treated+NC groups. α-SMA around the nuclear membrane was stained with FITC (green). Nuclei were counterstained with Hoechst 33258 (blue). (b) Lnc-PCF smart silencer could reduce the expression levels of α-SMA, Snail, and vimentin and increase the E-cadherin expression level, as shown by the western blot analysis. RLE-6TN cells were first transfected with 50 nM lnc-PCF smart silencer/NC for 6 h and subsequently cotreated with 5 ng/ml TGF-β1 for 72 h. (c) Knockin lnc-PCF (RP) can increase the α-SMA, as shown by the laser scanning confocal microscope observation. (d) Knockin lnc-PCF can increase the expression levels of α-SMA, Snail, and vimentin and decrease the E-cadherin expression levels, as shown in the western blot analysis. RLE-6TN cells were first transfected with 2 μg of 1 μg/ml lnc-PCF BP/RP for 6 h and then cotreated with 5 ng/ml TGF-β1 for 72 h. NC indicates a negative control of lnc-PCF smart silencer, BP indicates blank plasmid, and RP indicates the recombinant plasmid of the overexpressed lnc-PCF. Each bar represents the mean±S.D., n=6, *P<0.05, **P<0.01