Curcumin Inhibits Joint Contracture through PTEN Demethylation and Targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway in Myofibroblasts from Human Joint Capsule

Figure 3

PTEN exhibits antifibrotic effects on myofibroblasts. (a, b) Following siRNA knockdown, western blot analysis revealed a decrease in the expression of PTEN, while that of the fibrosis marker protein α-SMA increased, compared with the contracture group. (c) Polymerase chain reaction revealed decreased PTEN expression levels in the siRNA PTEN knockdown group, while α-SMA expression levels were increased, compared with the contracture group. (d) Cell Counting Kit-8 analysis showed that myofibroblast proliferation was suppressed in the curcumin group, while in the siRNA PTEN + curcumin group, proliferative ability was increased, compared with the curcumin group. relative to the contracture group. relative to the curcumin group. PTEN, phosphatase and tension homolog; α-SMA, alpha smooth muscle cell actin; siRNA, small-interfering RNA.

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