Research Article

The Role of Cathepsin B in Peritoneal Fibrosis due to Peritoneal Dialysis

Figure 4

Protein expression of MMPs, TIMPs, and uPA in the supernatant of cultured human peritoneal mesothelial cells after treatment with cathepsin B. Cathepsin B increased MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and TIMP-1 protein expression, but had no effect on uPA. TIMP-2 was increased by 1 ng/ml cathepsin B but decreased by 5 ng/ml. MMP, TIMP, and uPA means matrix metalloproteinase, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator, respectively. compared with protein expression without cathepsin B treatment, compared with protein expression after1 ng/ml cathepsin B treatment.