Figure 10.

Hydrolysis of extracellular ATP decreases profibrotic α-SMA and collagen accumulation and increases MMP expression. A) By immunofluorescent microscopy, apyrase treatment for 24 h decreased expression of α-SMA-containing stress fibers in CFs. B) Apyrase treatment (24 h) decreased α-SMA mRNA expression by >90% (P<0.001), which was partially reversed by cotreatment with 10 ng/ml TGF-β. C, D) Apyrase also decreased collagen accumulation (C) after 24 h by 40% (P<0.001) and increased MMP2 and MMP9 mRNA expression (D) by 4- and 13-fold, respectively (P<0.001). These effects were also partially reversed by TGF-β cotreatment. Data are presented as means ± se of ≥3 independent experiments. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.