Figure 3.

AC-73 administration decreases intestinal fibrosis without any significant modulation of CD147 and TGF-β1 protein expression levels in mice with TNBS chronic colitis. [A] Connective tissue growth factor [CTGF], collagen type I alpha 2 chain [Col1a2] and collagen type III alpha 1 chain [Col3a1] mRNA content by qPCR in colonic tissue from TNBS+V: mice receiving intrarectal [i.r.] TNBS and vehicle intraperitoneally [i.p.]; TNBS+AC-73: mice receiving TNBS i.r. and AC-73 i.p.; ETOH+V: mice receiving ethanol i.r. and vehicle i.p.; ETOH+AC-73: mice receiving ethanol i.r. and AC-73 i.p.; V: mice receiving vehicle i.p. only; AC-73: mice receiving AC-73 i.p. only. Data are represented as individual plots from at least: ten TNBS-treated mice per group, five ethanol-treated mice per group and three mice per group receiving vehicle or AC-73 only. Lines indicate median values. *p<0.05, ***p<0.001, from Mann-Whitney test. [B–D] Western blot analysis of [B] α-SMA protein, [C] CD147 protein and [D] TGF-β1 active protein levels. [B–D] Left: one representative western blot out of three is shown, with respective densitometry analysis of protein expression levels compared with GAPDH levels; GAPDH is an internal control of total protein extracts; right: densitometry analysis [A.U. = arbitrary units]: data are represented as individual plots from at least: ten TNBS-treated mice per group, five ethanol-treated mice per group and three mice per group receiving vehicle or AC-73 only. Mice group as in [A]. Lines indicate median values. ns, not significant, *p<0.05, **p<0.01, from a Mann–Whitney test.