Fig. 7: TMAO activates TGF-β/SMAD signaling and aggravates renal fibrosis after renal I/R. | Communications Biology

Fig. 7: TMAO activates TGF-β/SMAD signaling and aggravates renal fibrosis after renal I/R.

From: Deficiency of flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 protects kidney function after ischemia–reperfusion in mice

Fig. 7

a Representative histopathological images of Masson’s trichrome-stained (left panel) sections of kidneys from mice sacrificed at 4 weeks post-I/R. The scale bar represents 100 μm. Quantification of the fibrotic area ratio is shown in the right panel, n = 4 per group. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ***P < 0.001. b Representative immunoblotting images showing protein levels of TGF-β1, TGFBR1, TGFBR2, phosphorylated SMAD2/3, total SMAD2/3, α-SMA, and HSP90 detected in chow Sham, chow I/R, choline Sham and choline I/R kidney tissues 4 weeks after I/R (upper panel). Quantification of protein levels of TGF-β1, TGFBR1, TGFBR2, SMAD2/3, and α-SMA were normalized by HSP90, and phosphorylated SMAD2/3 was normalized by total SMAD2/3 (lower panel), n = 4 per group. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ns not significant; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001 (one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test).

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