Journal: PLoS ONE

Article Title: HIV and HCV Co-Culture Promotes Profibrogenic Gene Expression through an Epimorphin-Mediated ERK Signaling Pathway in Hepatic Stellate Cells

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158386

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) QRT-PCR analysis of TIMP-1 and MMP-3 expression levels in LX-2 cells incubated with control medium, HCV (JFH1), inactivated HIV (NL4-3) or HIV and HCV (HIV+HCV). GAPDH was used as the internal control. **P < 0.01 compared with the HIV or HCV group. (B) Western blotting analysis of the expressions of TIMP-1 and MMP-3 in LX-2 cells incubated with control medium, HCV (JFH1), inactivated HIV (NL4-3), or HIV and HCV (HIV+HCV). Bar graphs are shown on the right. *P < 0.05 compared with the HIV or HCV group. (C) Western blotting analysis of the expressions of TIMP-1 and MMP-3 in LX-2 cells, which were transfected with EPM knockdown (Lv-shEPM, with Lv-scramble as the control) and EPM overexpression (Lv-EPM, with Lv-GFP as the control), incubated with control medium, HCV (JFH1), inactivated HIV (NL4-3) or HIV and HCV (HIV+HCV). Bar graphs are shown on the right. Mock: Lv-scramble+ Lv-GFP. *P < 0.05 compared with mock or Lv-shEPM in the HIV+HCV group.

Article Snippet: Antibodies used for Western blots were: rabbit antibodies against Syntaxin 2 (ab12369, Abcam), α-SMA (Sigma), phospho-FAK (Tyr-397, Biosource International, Camarillo, CA), ERK 1/2, phospho-ERK 1/2 (Thr202/Tyr204), MMP-3 and TIMP-1(Cell Signaling Technology), GAPDH (ab70699, Abcam); and mouse monoclonal antibodies against FAK (Upstate Biotechnology, NY).

Techniques: Quantitative RT-PCR, Expressing, Incubation, Western Blot, Transfection, Over Expression