Fig. 6.

Effects of Dusp5 KO on renal interstitial fibrosis, tubular injury, and TGF-β/MMPs expression. (A) Comparison of renal interstitial fibrosis in normotensive and hypertensive Dusp5 KO and WT rats. The slides were stained with Masson’s trichrome, and the degree of fibrosis (blue color) was measured by thresholding the percentage area of blue color per field. (B) Comparison of protein cast formation in the outer medulla of normotensive and hypertensive WT and Dusp5 KO rats. The slides were stained with H&E, and the area of protein casts was measured by thresholding the percentage of area occupied by eosin red fluorescence per field. (C) Representative pictures of TGF-β1 immunofluorescent staining in the renal cortex in normotensive and hypertensive Dusp5 KO and WT rats. (D–F) Comparison of TGF-β1, MMP2, and MMP9 expression in the renal cortex of normotensive and hypertensive Dusp5 KO and WT rats by Western blot. N = 4–6 rats per group. Experiments were repeated two to three times. Mean values ± S.E.M. are presented. *P < 0.05 from the corresponding value in Dusp5 KO vs. WT rats. #P < 0.05 from DOCA-salt treated vs. baseline value within strain.