FIG. 6.
Western blot of effects of E2, MPA, IL1B, and TNF on secreted MMP2 and MMP9 levels by first-trimester decidual cell monolayers. Confluent, leukocyte-free decidual cells were incubated for 7 days in 10–8 M E2 or E2 + 10−7 M MPA, then switched to DM with corresponding steroid(s) with or without 1 ng/ml of IL1B or TNF for 24 h. Aliquots of conditioned DM were subjected to reducing SDS-PAGE, transferred to nitrocellulose and immunostained for MMP9, then stripped and reprobed for MMP2. Positive controls were recombinant human proteins that are only the pro-forms of MMP2 and MMP9.