Fig. 4.

Piperine blocked the transformation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) to myofibroblasts induced by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). (a) Comparison of mRNA levels of Collagen I and Collagen III in neonatal rat CFs (n = 6). (b) Representative images of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, green)-stained neonatal rat CFs and statistical results (n = 6). Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). (c) Alteration of the AKT/GSK3β pathway in neonatal rat CFs after piperine treatment (n = 6). (d) The mRNA levels of Collagen I and Collagen III in neonatal rat CFs infected with adenovirus carrying constitutively active AKT (n = 6). (e) Representative images of α-SMA-stained mouse adult CFs after infection with constitutively active AKT adenovirus (n = 6). Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). (f) The α-SMA protein expression in human adult CFs after infection for the expression of constitutively active AKT (n = 6). Values represent the mean ± SEM. ^⁎P < 0.05 versus the matched control. NS; no significance.