Figure 3.

Ethanol, LPS or TGF-β exposure increased Lin28 and HMGA2 levels. These hHSCs were cultured as recommended by the manufacturer on poly-l-lysine-coated plates. The HSCs at 70–80% confluency were treated with 10 mm ethanol as well as 1 ng/ml TGF-β or LPS (1 μg/ml) for 72 h. Cells were collected, and total RNA was extracted. The Lin28A/B and HMGA2 levels were measured by real-time PCR in hHSCs treated with ethanol (A) and LPS or TGF-β (B). The Lin28A/B and HMGA2 levels were all elevated in hHSCs treated with LPS, TGF-β, and ethanol. C–E, total liver samples from human alcoholic liver disease or control patients were analyzed for Lin28A/B and HMGA2 levels with real-time PCR. Data are presented as ±S.E. (n = 5). *, p < 0.05 relative to specific control group.