Fig. 4
From: Inhibition of TGFβ improves hematopoietic stem cell niche and ameliorates cancer-related anemia
TGFβ deteriorated HSC niche by affecting MSC. a Representative confocal images show the expression of phosphorylated Smad2/3 in the trabecular bone of control and LLC-bearing mice. Scale bar, 50 μm. b–d Western blotting analysis and quantifications of phosphorylated Smad2/3 and total Smad2/3 proteins in the bone marrow from control and LLC-bearing mice. e mRNA levels of the fibrotic factors, Acta2, Col3a1, and Fn, in the bone marrow from control and LLC-bearing mice were analyzed by qPCR. f MSC growth rate was shown by cell number relative to the initiation (0d in the panel), which contains 4 × 105 cells of the 2nd passage per well. g Panel shows lineage differentiation of isolated MSC into either osteoblast (Alizarin Red) or adipocytes (Oil Red). Scale bars, 100 μm. h, i The mRNA levels of osteoblastic genes, alkaline phosphatase liver/bone/kidney (Alpl) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and adipogenic genes, fatty acid-binding protein 4 (Fabp4) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ (Ppar-γ), were analyzed by qPCR in differentiated bone marrow MSC. j The mRNA expression of the hematopoietic factors, Cxcl12 and KitL, in control and LLC-bearing mice. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001; assessed by Student’s t test