Protective Effect of Triptolide against Glomerular Mesangial Cell Proliferation and Glomerular Fibrosis in Rats Involves the TGF-β1/Smad Signaling Pathway

Figure 3

Effect of triptolide on the Ski and Smad3 protein expression of the TGF-β1-induced mesangial cells. Triptolide downregulated Smad3 protein expression but upregulated Ski protein expression in the TGF-β1-treated cells. Western blot analysis: the protein levels of Smad3 and Ski of the glomerular mesangial cells at different time points in control, TGF-β1-stimulated, and triptolide treatment groups. Compared to the TGF-β1-induced group, under the effect of triptolide, the level of expression of Smad3 protein decreased but the level of expression of Ski protein had significantly increased in a time-dependent manner ( versus the control group, versus the different time points in the same group, and versus the TGF-β1-induced group, ).