Figure 4.

Administration of SP exacerbated UUO-induced renal fibrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis. (A–C) RT-qPCR (A), Western blotting (B), PAS, Masson’s trichrome, F4/80 immunochemistry staining, and TUNEL analysis (C). Results showed that SP administration in established UUO mice enhanced the expression of Collagen I, α-SMA, MCP-1, and TNF-α at mRNA and/or protein levels, which was accompanied by aggravated renal fibrosis, infiltration of F4/80-positive inflammatory cells, and apoptosis. For (A–C), sham and UUO mice were subjected to vehicle (PBS) or SP (40 nM/kg body weight) by tail vein injection three times a week for 14 days. The quantitative analysis of TUNEL-positive cells was achieved by fluorescence microscopy in 10 randomly chosen high-power fields per kidney section. Scale bar, 50 µm. Data are shown as mean ± SEM from groups of six mice. **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ****p < 0.0001.