The PKC-NADPH oxidase pathway mediates Ang II-induced cardiac myofibroblast differentiation.

<p><b>A</b>, Representative Western blotting (upper panel) and quantitative analysis (lower panel) of α-SMA protein expression in cardiac fibroblasts treated with Ang II (100 nM) for 24 h in the presence or absence of calphostin C (0.1 µM) or apocynin (1 mM). α-SMA expression was normalized to β-actin. <b>B</b>, Representative images of immunofluorescence staining for α-SMA (green) in cardiac fibroblasts treated as above. Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Scale bar, 50 µm. <b>C</b> and <b>D</b>, Real-time PCR quantification of Collagen I (A) and Collagen III (B) expression in cardiac fibroblasts treated with Ang II (100 nM) for 12 h in the presence or absence of calphostin C (0.1 µM) or apocynin (1 mM). The mRNA expression was normalized to corresponding β-actin mRNA. Data represent mean ± SEM of 4 separate experiments. <i>*P</i><0.05 vs control group, <i>^#P</i><0.05 vs Ang II group, <i>**P</i><0.01 vs control group, <i>^##P</i><0.01 vs Ang II group.