Figure 6.

Deletion of the S1P₃ receptor reduced the development of cardiac fibrosis and stimulated Smad3 phosphorylation in TG(H) mice. (A) Representative photographs of Azan stained horizontal sections of the heart obtained from WT/TG(H) or S1P₃KO/TG(H) mice. (B) Quantitative analysis of the fibrotic area expressed as a percentage of the total cross sectional area. Littermate S1P₃WT/TG(H) and S1P₃KO/TG(H) mice (n = 5) at the age of 16 weeks were subjected to analysis. (C) Western blot analysis of Smad3 phosphorylation. The upper and lower panels show phosphorylated Smad3 (p-Smad3) and total Smad2/3, respectively. The bands indicated by the asterisks on the blots most likely represent non-specific or degradation products of total Smad2/3 and p-Smad3. *P < 0.05.