Specific shRNA targeting of FAK influenced collagen metabolism in rat hepatic stellate cells

Figure 3 Focal adhesion kinase short hairpin RNA specifically inhibits the expressions of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 protein and promotes the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases-13 protein in hepatic stellate cells. A: Cells were harvested, lysed and total protein extracts were separated by SDS-PAGE and analyzed by Western blotting with polyclonal anti-tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) antibody. GAPDH served as a loading control; B: Western blotting analysis was used to detect the expressions of TIMP-1 at different time points; C: TIMP-1 expression levels obtained from scanning densitometry were expressed as a ratio of integral optical density value (IOD) TIMP-1/IOD GAPDH (n = 3, ^bP < 0.01 vs Con, ^dP < 0.01 vs HK); D: Matrix metalloproteinases-13 (MMP-13) expression levels obtained from scanning densitometry were expressed as a ratio of IOD MMP-13/IOD GAPDH (n = 3, ^bP < 0.01 vs Con, ^dP < 0.01 vs HK); E, F: Western blotting analysis was carried out at different groups (E) and different time points (F) using polyclonal anti-MMP-13 antibody and monoclonal anti-GAPDH antibody. FN: Fibronectin; FAK: Focal adhesion kinase; shRNA: Short hairpin RNA.