Figure 3
Gene expression of TGF-β/Smad signaling in the liver fibrosis caused by C. sinensis . Mice were orally infected with 45 metacercariae of C. sinensis, livers were collected from infected and non-infected mice at indicated time-points and mRNA levels were determined by qPCR (normalized to beta-actin transcript levels). (A) Smad3; (B) Smad4; (C) Smad7; (D) TGF-β1; (E) TGFβRI; (F) TGFβRII; (G) Smad2. Data were presented as mean ± SEM from 8 C. sinensis-infected mice and 5 normal control mice at each time-point, * = P < 0.05, ** = P < 0.01, *** = P < 0.001 versus control mice.