Representative Western blot showing phospho-p65, phospho-STAT-3/total STAT-3, phospho-ERK1/2/total ERK1/2, TGF-β1, and phospho-Smad-3/total Smad-3 protein expressions in kidneys of nondiabetic and diabetic rats ± suramin intervention at week 4 after the initial treatments (A). Densitometric analysis of renal phospho-p65 (B), renal phospho-STAT-3/STAT-3 (C), renal phospho-ERK1/2-ERK1/2 (D), renal TGF-β1 (E), and renal phospho-Smad-3/Smad-3 (F) in kidneys of nondiabetic and diabetic rats ± suramin intervention at week 4 after initial treatments. Data were normalized by GAPDH, which served as the internal control. Data are expressed as means ± S.E. (n = 4). *, significant from the respective nondiabetic saline + water controls. #, significant from the respective diabetic STZ + suramin-treated group (p ≤ 0.05). C, nondiabetic saline + water control. SH, diabetic STZ + water; SS, diabetic STZ + suramin.