Figure 1
Rhein reduces αSMA protein abundance independently from oxygen. (A) Experimental setup of hypoxia treatment. HCF-v were adhered for 16 h, grown for 60 h under normoxic (21% O2) or hypoxic (0.5% O2) conditions and subsequently serum-starved for 36 h. With every change of the media (every 30 h), respective cells were treated with 35 µM Rhein throughout the duration of the experiment (96 h). (B) Rhein does not affect HIF1α stabilization. Representative blot and quantification of HIF1α abundance (n = 4). (C) mRNA expression of the direct HIF1α target Glut1. (D) Rhein-mediated αSMA protein reduction. Representative Western blot and quantification of relative protein abundance (n = 4). Antibodies in (B,D) were probed to the same membrane. All data are presented as mean ± SD. One-way-ANOVA with post-hoc Sidak’s multiple comparison, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, as indicated.
