Fig. 3.

CTHRC1 promotes HSC activation, migratory and contractile capacities in vitro.

A. Representative immunofluorescence images of phalloidin (green) and α-SMA (red) in primary HSCs after 7 days isolated from WT and CTHRC1^−/− mice. Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars, 50 μm.

B. Immunofluorescence images of phalloidin (green) and α-SMA (red) in primary rat HSCs after 4 days, which were treated with vehicle, 20 nM purified recombinant CTHRC1 (rCTHRC1) protein alone, and 20 nM rCTHRC1 protein plus CTHRC1 mAb or IgG. Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). Scale bars, 50 μm.

C. Collagen gel contraction assay of LX-2 treated with 0 nM, 20 nM or 50 nM rCTHRC1 protein alone, and 20 nM or 50 nM rCTHRC1 protein plus CTHRC1 mAb or IgG (n = 3 each group). Statistical analysis of collagen gel contractionis was shown below.

D. Collagen gel contraction assay of LX-2/lenti-vector and LX-2/lenti-CTHRC1 (n = 3 each group). Statistical analysis was shown below.

E. Representative images of LX-2 migration treated with 0 nM, 20 nM or 50 nM rCTHRC1 protein alone, and 20 nM or 50 nM rCTHRC1 protein plus CTHRC1 mAb or IgG, respectively (n = 3 each group). Scale bars, 100 μm. Statistical analysis of cell migration of LX-2 treated with 0 nM, 20 nM or 50 nM rCTHRC1 protein alone, and 20 nM or 50 nM rCTHRC1 protein plus CTHRC1 mAb or IgG was shown below.

F. Representative images of LX-2/lenti-vector and LX-2/lenti-CTHRC1 cell migration (n = 3 each group). Scale bars, 100 μm. Statistical analysis of cell migration of LX-2/lenti-vector and LX-2/lenti-CTHRC1 was shown below. *P < .05, **P < .01. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)