Fig 2. Effect of Z-Phe-Ala-FMK, a cysteine protease inhibitor, on TGF-β activation.
Active TGF-β was measured by ELISA after incubation of (A) parasite lysate equivalent to 2.5 × 106 epimastigotes or (B) 100 μg ml-1 of purified cruzipain for 1 h at 28°C with or without the cysteine peptidase inhibitor, Z-Phe-Ala-FMK, at different concentrations (0.1 to 10 μM). Results are expressed as fold induction, recombinant latent TGF-β (LTGFβ) incubated alone for 1 h at 28°C has been taken as 1 (white bars). Data are the mean ± SD. (*P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01). n = 3.