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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: FASEB J. 2021 Mar;35(3):e21382. doi: 10.1096/fj.202002013RR

Figure 6. The MAPK/ERK pathway is involved in the VIC activated myofibroblast calcific response to TNF-α.

Figure 6.

a) αSMA b) RUNX2 and c) BMP2 mRNA gene expression relative to L30. Activated myofibroblast populations were treated with TNF-α or left untreated. TNF-α-treated activated myofibroblast were cultured in the presence or absence of Selumetinib. Selumetinib resulted in significant upregulation of αSMA gene expression at both concentrations. RUNX2 gene expression was significantly reduced with low dose of Selumetinib (10 uM) but no statistically different changes on BMP2 gene expression were observed with either dose. d) Comparative results of mRNA gene expression for αSMA, RUNX2, and BMP2 of TNF-α-treated activated myofibroblast with and without low dose of Selumetinib (10 mM). Comparative results showcase αSMA gene expression was 18.5-fold higher with Selumetinib (10 mM), RUNX2 gene expression was reduced by half and BMP2 was not significantly altered. ****=p<0.0001, ***=p<0.001 and **=p<0.05 based on one-way ANOVA and t-test.