Journal: Experimental & Molecular Medicine
Article Title: Deficiency of exocyst complex component Exoc5 exacerbates the progression of kidney fibrosis
doi: 10.1038/s12276-026-01649-8
Figure Lengend Snippet: a , d Western blot of p-Smad3, Smad3 and β-catenin ( a ) and α-SMA and vimentin ( d ). b , c , e , f Graphs of p-Smad3/Smad3 ( b ), β-catenin ( c ), α-SMA ( e ) and vimentin ( f ) expression in the kidney tissue. GAPDH was used as the loading control, and densities of bands were quantified using ImageJ software. g , j , k , n Kidney sections were subjected to immunostaining using antibodies against α-SMA (red), vimentin (green in g and red in j ), and Exoc5 (green), AQP1 (red in g and brown in n ), E-cadherin (green), ZO-1 (green), and SGLT2 (brown). DAPI staining (blue) was used to visualize cell nuclei. The white arrowheads indicate vimentin positivity in tubular cells, and the black arrowheads indicate cells with apical loss of AQP1 or SGLT2 expression. In j , adjacent serial kidney sections are immunostained for Exoc5 (green) and vimentin (red). The filled arrowheads indicate vimentin-expressing tubular cells. The open arrowheads indicate interstitial cells co-expressing Exoc5 and vimentin. h , i , l , m , o , p The quantification was performed by measuring the area of α-SMA ( h ), vimentin ( i ), E-cadherin ( l ), ZO-1 ( m ), AQP1 ( o ) and SGLT2 positivity ( p ). PT–Exoc5 WT and PT–Exoc5 KO mice were subjected to either UUO or sham surgery, and kidneys were collected 7 days following surgery. Results are expressed as the mean ± s.e.m. ( n = 4–6). * P < 0.05. NS, not significant.
Article Snippet: Immunohistochemical staining was performed using antibodies against AQP1 (cat. no. ab168387, Abcam), Na + /K + ATPase (cat. no. ab76020, Abcam), SGLT2 (cat. no. 24654-1-AP, Proteintech) and F4/80 (cat. no. MCA497GA, Bio-Rad Laboratories) antibodies.
Techniques: Western Blot, Expressing, Control, Software, Immunostaining, Staining