Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Drives Proliferation of Synoviocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Possible Novel Therapeutic Target

Figure 4

Detection of protein expression of Shh signaling pathway related components in cultured FLS from RA patients by cell immunofluorescence assay (×200). Expression of Shh (a), Ptch1 (b), Smo (c), and Gli1 (d) protein was observed using laser confocal microscopy. Smo was assayed by fluorescence microscopy ((e), (f)). After treatment with cyclopamine (10μmol/L) for 48 hours, there were considerably fewer cells expressing Smo (f) compared to the control group (e). (g) and (h) show a nuclear stain of the same field as (e) and (f).

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