Figure 4.

Simvastatin attenuates myofibroblast phenotype transformation and collagen-associated protein expression in vitro. Exosomes were isolated from HCM culture medium pretreated with Ang II or Ang II + SIM for 24 h. Exosomes were then incubated with HCF for 24 h. HCF ultrastructure images were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (A). mRNA expressions of myofibroblast markers ATCA2, COL1A1, and LOXL2 were examined by real-time PCR and normalized by β–actin (B). Data represent mean ± SD of three independent experiments (* p < 0.05). Confocal microscopy was used to confirm ATCA2, COL1A1, and LOXL2 expressions (red florescence: ATCA2, COL1A1, LOXL2; blue florescence, the nuclei) (C–E). A representative image from three independent experiments.