Fig. 5 | Laboratory Investigation

Fig. 5

From: Human relaxin-2 attenuates hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Fig. 5

Relaxin-2 reduced liver fibrosis in mice fed a methionine–choline-deficient (MCD) diet. a Sirius red stained area of livers. Scale bar = 100 μm. b Hydroxyproline levels in liver. c Hepatic expression levels of mRNA and protein of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and immunohistochemistry staining of α-SMA with quantification of stained area (%) below. Loading protein: 30 μg/lane. Scale bar = 100 μm. d Hepatic gene expressions of collagen type 1α1 (Col1α1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9/-13 in the four groups. e In situ zymography showing collagen-degrading activity in the four groups and quantification of dye-quenched areas. DAPI: 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. Scale bar = 50 μm. N-V normal mice receiving vehicle, MCD-V/MCD-R25/MCD-R75 MCD mice treated with vehicle or relaxin-2 (25 or 75 μg/kg/day). (#p < 0.05 vs. N-V; ##p < 0.01 vs. N-V; *p < 0.05 vs. MCD-V; **p < 0.01 vs. MCD-V)

Back to article page