Fig. 6.

15-Hydoxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase inhibitor treatment promoted the expression of EP₄ receptors in the renal arteriolar outer medulla. Assessments were performed at 24 h after renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). A−D: statistical analysis of EP₁ (A), EP₂ (B), EP₃ (C), and EP₄ (D) receptor mRNA levels in kidney tissue by real-time PCR. n = 6–10 animals/group. E: Western blots for EP₄ receptor protein (73 kDa) in kidney tissue (representative of three experiments). F: statistical analysis of EP₄ receptor protein levels in kidney tissue (n = 8 per group except sham, where n = 6). G: representative confocal microscopy images for EP₄ receptors (green), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA; red), and DAPI (blue)-stained kidney sections. EP₄ receptor-positive cells were observed in α-SMA-positive cells in the renal arteriolar outer medulla (arrow). *α-SMA-positive renal arterioles in the outer medullar. Scale bars = 25 μm. H–L: effects of the EP₄ inhibitor ONO-AE3-208 on SW033291 amelioration of IRI-induced renal injury. Data are presented as means ± SE. Analysis was performed using Student’s t test.