FIGURE 3.
Calibration curves for reaction to growth factors and stiffness. (a–c) Concentration dependent changes to p38 and ERK activation and αSMA expression in response to TGF-β1 and FGF. (d) Sensitivity to stiffness in production of αSMA in MEF+/+ and FAK−/− cells. * indicates significant difference from the no treatment/TCP condition within each cell type. ^ indicates significant difference from MEF+/+ sample within substrate. Active p38 and pERK data from densitometry of western blots (a, b) and αSMA determined from indirect ELISA (c, d). Average results are presented (n = 4–12). These data were used to refine model parameters.