Fig. 3.

HSC expression of proinflammatory and profibrogenic genes in response to CM from MerTK-inhibited THP-1 macrophages.

Serum-starved HSCs were exposed to SF medium (Control, white columns) or to CM from THP-1 macrophages left untreated (DMSO, purple columns), treated with UNC569 (light purple columns) or stimulated with Gas-6 in the presence (light purple columns) or absence (purple columns) of UNC569 for 48 h. (A-H) Total RNA was isolated and mRNA expression of different genes was evaluated by qRT-PCR and normalized for the expression of β-actin. Data are mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was assessed by Student's t test. ∗p <0.05 vs. SF medium; ∗∗p <0.05 vs. CM of untreated THP-1 macrophages; ^§p <0.05 vs. CM of THP-1 macrophage stimulated with Gas-6 without inhibition for MerTK. CM, conditioned media; HSC(s), hepatic stellate cell(s); qRT-PCR, quantitative real-time PCR; SF, serum free.