Emodin protects rat liver from CCl4-induced fibrogenesis via inhibition of hepatic stellate cells activation

Figure 3 Emodin decreases the levels of serum transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and mRNA levels in liver tissues in the rat model. Serum and liver tissue were obtained from each treated rat. A: Levels of serum TGF-β1 were determined by ELISA; B: Total RNA extracted from rat liver tissues was used to synthesize cDNA. The mRNA level of TGF-β1 in liver tissues was detected by real-time PCR, and mRNA levels were expressed as -fold differences relative to normal rat after normalization to the housekeeping gene’s GAPDH mRNA. Values are expressed as mean ± SD, n = 5 per group. ^aP < 0.05 vs CCl₄ group.