Fig. 3.

Effects of CTGF on high glucose-induced proliferation, ECM components mRNA and protein expression in VSMCs. Cells were transfected with CTGF siRNA and then treated with 5.55 or 22.2 mM of glucose. After treatment, CTGF protein expression measured by western blot (A) and cell proliferation measured by an MTT assay (B) Collagen type I, Collagen type III, and fibronectin mRNA levels measured by real-time PCR (C) and protein expression were measured by western blot (D). Results are represented as the mean±S.E.M (n=4). ^**p<0.01 compared 5.55 mM glucose, ^***p<0.001 compared with 5.55 mM glucose, ^##p<0.01 compared with 22.2 mM glucose, ^###p<0.001 compared with 22.2 mM glucose.