FIGURE 7.

Effect of HEA on transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TGF-β1/Smad and NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro. NRK-49F and RAW 264.7 cells were pretreated with HEA for 1hn and then stimulated by TGF-β1 (2.5 ng/ml) and LPS (1 μg/ml). After 24 h incubation, both cell lines were subjected to western blot analysis for P-Smad2/Smad2, P-Smad3/Smad3 (A) and p-NF-κB/NF-κB, p-IκBα/IκBα (D). (B,C) Data from densitometric analysis of P-Smad2 and P-Smad3 are presented as the relative ratio of each protein to Smad2 and Smad3. (E–F) The ratio of p-NF-κB normalized to NF-κB protein levels, and the ratio of p-IκBα normalized to IκBα. The data are presented as the means ± SEM. ^∗P < 0.05 and ^∗∗P < 0.01.