Fig. 9. Treatment with GW4869 decreased cell proliferation and renal fibrosis in Pkd1 mutant kidneys.

a Treatment with GW4869 reduced cyst-lining and interstitial cell proliferation in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice as detected with PCNA staining. (n = 5). Scale bars, 100 μm. b The percentage of PCNA-positive cells was calculated from an average of 1000 nuclei per mouse kidney section. c qRT-PCR analysis of the expression of PCNA mRNA in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with GW4869 (+) or DMSO (−). d Western blot analysis of the phosphorylation and total proteins of AKT, mTOR, S6, Rb, STAT3, and ERK in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with GW4869 (+) or DMSO (−). e Picrosirius red staining revealed that renal fibrosis was decreased in kidneys of Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with GW4869 compared to that in kidneys of Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with DMSO. Scale bars, 50 μm. f Western blot analysis of fibronectin, collagen 1 and α-SMA expression in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with GW4869 (+) or DMSO (−). g qRT-PCR analysis of the expression of fibronectin, collagen 1, α-SMA and TGF-β mRNAs in kidneys from WT and Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with GW4869 or DMSO. All data were analyzed from 3 to 5 experiments. h Immunostaining of fibronectin, collagen 1, and α-SMA, in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with GW4869 (+) or DMSO (−). All statistical data are represented as mean ± SEM. P values by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test in c, g and by two-tailed unpaired t-tests in b are indicated.