Fig 3. Effect of LAB on TGF-β induced pro-fibrogenic markers expression in LX-2 cells.

Confluence LX-2 cells were treated with LAB for 48 h, then stimulated with TGF-β for 24 h. The mRNA levels of α-SMA, Col1A1, MMP-2, ICAM-1, TIMP-1, and TIMP2 were determined by RT-PCR. LX-2 cells, either with medium or TGF-β alone, were used as a negative and positive control. Two independent experiments (n = 3) were performed, and the average values (mean + S.D) are shown. *p <0.05, ** p <0.01, ***p <0.001.