Indoxyl sulfate and p-cresol sulfate activated transforming growth factor-β pathway and increased Snail expression in vitro.A: Results of western blotting show that mouse proximal renal tubular cells (PKSV) cells had significantly increased protein expression of Sma- and Mad-related protein (Smad)2/Smad2-P, Smad3/Smad3-P, and Smad4, when treated with indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresol sulfate (PCS). B: Western blotting and immunostaining for Snail show that PKSV cells had significantly increased nuclolear expression of Snail, when treated with IS and PCS. In the immunostaining study of Snail, PKSV cells were treated with 5 mg/dL IS or PCS for 3 days. C: The transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) concentrations in the culture medium were measured by ELISA method. PKSV cells treated with IS (5 and 50 mg/L) and PCS (1, 5 and 50 mg/L) had significantly higher TGF-β1 concentration in culture medium than control cells. (600×) (*: P<0.05; **: P<0.01; ***: P<0.001, vs. control).
{}