Fig. 6
From: A feasibility of computational drug screening for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy
LDN193189 suppresses TGF-β2-induced ECM production and protein aggregation in FECD model cells. (A-D) Quantitative PCR analysis of ECM-related gene expression in iFECD cells pretreated with LDN193189 (1 µM, 24 h) followed by TGF-β2 stimulation (10 ng/mL). Expression levels of (A) FN1 , (B) LTBP2 , (C) MATN3 , and (D) BGN were significantly increased by TGF-β2 and suppressed by LDN193189 treatment. Data represent mean ± SD ( n = 5). Statistical significance was determined using Dunnett’s multiple comparison test ( P < 0.05). (E) Immunofluorescence analysis of fibronectin expression. Cells were treated as described above and stained for fibronectin (green) and nuclei (DAPI, blue). LDN193189 treatment normalized the TGF-β2–induced increase in fibronectin expression. Scale bar: 50 μm. (F) Western blot analysis confirming the suppressive effect of LDN193189 on TGF-β2–induced fibronectin protein expression. (G) Aggresome staining demonstrating the effect of LDN193189 on protein aggregation. Red fluorescence indicates protein aggregates, and nuclei are counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bar: 50 μm. Representative images from three independent experiments are shown in panels E-G.
