Fig. 8
PM2.5-induced cardiac fibrosis is associated with NOX4-TGFβ1-Smad signaling. Protein levels were measured by Western blot. (a), Representative Western blot results of each protein. The protein levels of NOX-4 (b), TGFβ1 (c), and ratio of p-Smad3 and Smad 3 (d). Each column and bar represents the mean ± SE (n = 3~ 6). The mean expression in each treated group was shown as a fold change compared to the mean expression in each control group, which had been calculated as target protein /GAPDH and ascribed an arbitrary value of 1. NOX-4, NADPH oxidase 4; TGFβ1, transforming growth factor β1. *, P < 0.05 vs. age-matched control by two-way ANOVA and Turkey’s post hoc tests; #, P < 0.05 vs. 4-month-exposure by two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni’s post hoc tests