Fig. 5.

Stat3 activation by P. gingivalis is inhibited by miR-203 silencing. GECs were transfected with si-miR203 (si-203), si-miR-146 (si-146), or nonsilence control (non-si). (A) Lysates of P. gingivalis-infected (inf) or uninfected cells were examined by Western blotting with antibodies to Stat3 or phosphorylated Stat3. GAPDH antibodies were used as a loading control. (B) Blots were analyzed by scanning densitometry, and ratios of phospho-Stat3/Stat3 were determined. Data are representative of three independent experiments. Controls (ctrl) were cells treated with transfection agent only; control infected (ctrl-inf) cells were transfection-agent-only-treated cells subsequently exposed to P. gingivalis.