Figure 6. The small molecule inhibitor for FAK, TAE226, reduces FAK activation and stretch-induced MMP-10 and MMP-12 expression in cultured podocytes.

Panels A and B, cells were treated or not with TAE226 under static and stretched conditions and mRNA analyzed by real time qRT-PCR for the indicated transcripts. Panel C, Podocytes were cultured on placental laminin overnight and TAE226 added 1 hour before stretching. Extracts were prepared and analyzed by western blot for expression of pFAK³⁹⁷ and total FAK. Panel E, FAK activation was also analyzed by western blot of podocyte extracts from stretched and non-stretched cells, demonstrating that biomechanical stretching directly activates FAK. Panels D and F, Several replicate blots were scanned and quantified for pFAK relative to total FAK and statistically analyzed. Statistically significant differences are indicated with asterisks where p<0.05.