Fig. 2.

Galectin-3 plays a critical role in organ fibrosis. Mice were treated with olive oil (control) or CCL₄ i.p. twice weekly for 8 weeks (n = 6 mice in each group). (a) Galectin-3 expression in control (Left) and after chronic CCL₄ treatment (Right) in WT mouse liver. (Scale bar: 400 μm.) (b Left) Real-time PCR quantitation of Galectin-3 expression in whole liver homogenates from control (olive oil vehicle) and chronic CCL₄ treated mice. ∗∗∗, P < 0.0001 compared with control. (b Right) Representative Galectin-3 and β-actin Western blots of whole liver from control and CCL₄-treated WT mice. (c) Collagen staining with PSR of liver tissue after chronic CCL₄ treatment of WT and Galectin-3^−/− mice. (Scale bar: 200 μm.) (d Left) Digital image analysis quantification of collagen staining. ∗, P < 0.05. (d Right) Real-time PCR quantification of procollagen (I) mRNA in whole liver homogenates from chronic CCL₄ and control groups. ∗, P < 0.05 compared with WT. (e) α-SMA staining of liver tissue after chronic CCL₄ treatment. (Scale bar: 200 μm.) (f Left) Digital image analysis quantification of α-SMA staining. ∗∗, P < 0.01 compared with WT. (f Right) Real-time PCR quantification of α-SMA in whole liver homogenates in chronic CCL₄ and control groups. ∗, P < 0.05 compared with WT. (f Inset) Representative Western blots of α-SMA and β-actin expression in whole liver homogenates from chronic CCL₄-treated mice.