Figure 7.

MRI‐1867 improves renal inflammation and fibrosis in diet‐induced obese mice. Mice on standard diet (STD) or high‐fat diet (HFD) for 18 weeks were treated with vehicle (Veh) or MRI‐1867 (3 mg·kg⁻¹) orally for 28 days. The HFD‐induced up‐regulation in the renal mRNA and/or the protein expression levels of (a–c) collagen‐1, (a, b, d) CCL2, (a, b, e) inducible NOS (iNOS), and (a, b, f) tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP‐1) were attenuated or normalized in the MRI‐1867‐treated DIO mice. Similarly, the elevated collagen deposition in Veh‐treated DIO mice, measured by (g, h) Sirius Red staining and (i, j) Masson's trichrome staining, was reversed by chronic MRI‐1867 treatment. Scale bar, 20 μm. RQ, relative quantitation. Data represent the mean ± SEM from 8 to 14 mice per group. ^* P < .05, significantly different from animals on STD; ^# P < .05, significantly different from animals on the same diet; one‐way ANOVA, followed by a Bonferroni post hoc test