Journal: iScience

Article Title: Profibrotic role of transcription factor SP1 in cross-talk between fibroblasts and M2 macrophages

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108484

Figure Lengend Snippet: The specific degradation of SP1 protein can significantly inhibit the fibrosis of ligamentum flavum in rats (A) Representative micro-computed tomographic images from rats with acupuncture-induced fibrosis of the ligamentum flavum (“Model”, n = 3) or control (n = 3). The red dashed line indicates the area of the ligamentum flavum. Contrast was normalized using ImageJ. (B) Thin sections of L5/6 ligamentum flavum from rats involving healthy controls (Ctrl); injured ligamentum flavum (Model) and injured ligamentum flavum treated with momordicoside G (MDG, 40 μM, 0.5mL) and plicamycin (Pli, 2.3 mM, 0.5mL). Sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Scale bar, 50 μm. N = 6. (C) Scanning electron micrographs of ligaments from rats treated as in panel (B). Representative picture from three separate experiments. Scale bar, 10 μm. (D) Masson stain of ligaments from rats treated as in panel (B). Quantitation of the collagen volume fraction is shown on the right. Scale bar, 50 μm. N = 6. (E) Immunostaining of thin sections of ligament from rats to detect collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ. The staining of the primary antibody dilution served as a negative control. Scale bar, 50 μm. N = 6. (F) Immunofluorescent staining of SP1 and M2 macrophage marker CD163. Representative picture from 3 separate experiments. Scale bar, 50 μm. (G) Levels of protein LOXL2, Smad4, Smad2/3, p-Smad2/3, and Smad7 in ligaments from rats treated as in panel (B). Quantitative analysis of western blots is below. N = 3. Data are mean ± SD. ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001.

Article Snippet: Model and control animals were subcutaneously injected with 0.5ml Momordicoside G (MDG, 40 μM, cat# HY-N3248, MedChemExpress, Beijing, China) alone or together with 0.5ml Plicamycin (Pli, 2.3 mM, cat# HY-A0122, MedChemExpress, Beijing, China) through the original surgical incision at four time points: immediately, 9, 18, and 27 days after surgery.

Techniques: Control, Staining, Quantitation Assay, Immunostaining, Negative Control, Marker, Western Blot

Journal: iScience

Article Title: Profibrotic role of transcription factor SP1 in cross-talk between fibroblasts and M2 macrophages

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108484

Figure Lengend Snippet:

Article Snippet: Model and control animals were subcutaneously injected with 0.5ml Momordicoside G (MDG, 40 μM, cat# HY-N3248, MedChemExpress, Beijing, China) alone or together with 0.5ml Plicamycin (Pli, 2.3 mM, cat# HY-A0122, MedChemExpress, Beijing, China) through the original surgical incision at four time points: immediately, 9, 18, and 27 days after surgery.

Techniques: Recombinant, CCK-8 Assay, Luciferase, Reporter Gene Assay, Methylation, Mass Spectrometry, Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Knockdown, Plasmid Preparation, Software