Switching-on of serotonergic calcium signaling in activated hepatic stellate cells

Figure 1 Expression of α-smooth muscle actin, L-type calcium channels and type 1 transforming growth factor-β receptors in activated rat hepatic stellate cells. A: Immunocytochemical staining for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was performed on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) cultured for 1 wk; C: Whole cell Ca²⁺ currents in a voltage-clamp mode were recorded from 2 wk-cultured HSCs, and were completely blocked by nimodipine (10 μmol/L); Changes in the transcript levels of α-SMA (B), the α1c subunit of the L-type Ca²⁺ channel (Cav1.2) (D), the type 1 receptor of transforming growth factor-β (Tβ-RI) (E), and 28S RNA (F) during HSC culturing (1 d, 1 wk and 2 wk) were measured by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Expression levels were normalized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and expressed as a relative expression ratio (target/GAPDH). Data are presented as the mean ± SE (n = 3).