Fasudil prevents liver fibrosis via activating natural killer cells and suppressing hepatic stellate cells

Figure 2 Fasudil prevents thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis. A: Histological observation of collagen deposition by sirius red staining under a light-field microscope with × 100 magnification (left). Quantitative analysis of sirius red staining of each group (right); B: Expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) and collagen I in liver tissues was assayed by western blotting. Right panel shows the quantification of α-SMA and collagen I protein levels; C: Levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 mRNA in liver tissues were detected by real time-reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); D: Hepatic expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) mRNA was detected by real time-RT-PCR, the secretion level of TGF-β1 in serum was assayed by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Data represent the mean ± SD from at least three independent experiments. ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01.