Figure 4.

TLR4 stimulates collagen gene expression. Fibroblasts were transiently transfected with constitutively active TLR4 (CD4TLR4) or inactive TLR4 (P-H CD4TLR4), 772COL1A2-luc, or empty vector and incubated with TGF-β1 for 24 hours. A: Total RNA was examined by qPCR. Results, normalized with GAPDH, are the mean ± SD of triplicate determinations. Inset: Secreted type I collagen (Cgn I). Whole cell lysates were assayed for their luciferase activities (B) or examined by using Western blot analysis (C). The results of luciferase assays are normalized with Renilla luciferase. mut, mutant.