Nonmuscle myosin II regulates migration but not contraction in rat hepatic stellate cells

Figure 6 Effect of nonmuscle myosin II inhibition on hepatic stellate cell contraction. Culture-activated hepatic stellate cells (Day 3) were transiently transfected with siRNA targeted to nonmuscle myosin(NMM) II-A, II-B, II-A and II-B or scramble siRNA (100 nmol/L and allowed to incubate for 24 h. Cells (1 × 10⁵) were seeded onto collagen lattices overnight, serum-starved for 24 h and subsequently treated with ET-1 (1 nmol/L). Twenty-four hours following chemical treatment, hepatic stellate cell contraction was quantified using PTI ImageMaster software and reported as percentage change in gel circumference.