FIGURE 3.

Some effects of leptin are mediated via interaction with ObRb. Primary HSCs were isolated from obese fa/fa rats and their lean littermates, pooled, and cultured on plastic dishes in serum-containing medium. Culture-activated HSCs were treated with leptin as described in Fig. 2. RNA was isolated, and changes in gene expression were evaluated by qRT-PCR. A, myofibroblastic/mesenchymal markers: α-SMA, Col1α1, fibronectin (Fn1), and S100A4. B, PPARγ (quiescence marker) and epithelial markers: BMP7, Id2, and desmoplakin. C, Hedgehog pathway genes: Shh, Gli1, Gli2, and sFRP1. Results are mean ± S.E. (error bars) of triplicate experiments. *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; †, p < 0.005.