FIGURE 7.

STAT3 inhibition in hypertrophic cardiac myocytes reverses MT stabilization. A, hypertrophy in cultured cardiac myocytes were induced by LIF (10 ng/ml) treatment for 24 h before treatment with Stattic (2 μm) for the indicated times. Lysates were then immunoblotted for glu-tubulin and bands quantitated by densitometric analysis. Values are expressed relative to glu-tubulin levels in untreated control myocytes. Phosphorylated STAT3 and STAT3 expression was also determined by immunoblotting. B, hypertrophic cardiac myocytes induced by LIF (10 ng/ml) treatment for 24 h was subsequently treated with Stattic (2 μm) or and equivalent volume of DMSO for 2 h before immunostaining with glu-tubulin antibody. Untreated cardiac myocytes were also stained for glu-tubulin as a control (Con). Phalloidin-TRITC staining revealed cardiac myocyte contractile filaments. Scale bar, 20 μm.