Hepatic fibrosis markers in rats.

<p>Representative Western blotting images of the fibrosis-related proteins TGF-β1 and α-SMA (A), and real-time quantitative PCR analyses (B) of genes involved in fibrosis progression, including those encoding TGF-β1 and α-SMA. Data are expressed as means ± SD (n = 6/group). Data in the parentheses are presented as fold changes compared with respective controls. GAPDH was used as a loading control; *<i>P</i> < 0.05 <i>vs</i>. control; ^#<i>P</i> < 0.05 female <i>vs</i>. male HFC/control ratios; ǂ <i>P</i> < 0.05 <i>vs</i>. male control. TGF-β1, transforming growth factor β1; α-SMA, alpha smooth muscle actin; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; <i>Col1α1</i>, α-1 type I collagen; <i>Mmp-2</i>, matrix metallopeptidase-2; <i>Pdgfβr</i>, platelet-derived growth factor β receptor; <i>Timp-1</i>, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1.