Figure 4
Effect of MEK inhibitor on EGF-induced TGF-βRII expression in primary human corneal epithelial cells (pHCE). Protein (A) and mRNA (B) expression of TGF-βRII was examined in pHCE treated ± EGF ± U0126 (MEK inhibitor). Data was reported as relative fold with samples normalized to Control (no treatment), which was set to 1, and representative western blot (A) and RT-PCR (B) were included. Protein and mRNA expression of TGF-βRII was significantly upregulated by EGF treatment as compared with Control (protein: **p < 0.01, 1.8 fold; mRNA: *p < 0.05, 4.0 fold), and U0126 successfully inhibited this EGF-induced upregulation of TGF-βRII expression at both protein (A **p < 0.01, 2.2 fold) and mRNA (B *p < 0.05, 4.4 fold) level. U0126 itself did not induce expression of TGF-βRII. Original western blot and PCR gel presented are available in Supplemental Fig. S3.
