EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH
Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were isolated from the hearts of 3 days
neonatal rats. Effects of serelaxin on inhibiting inflammatory response
after induction with LPS were examined. Cell proliferation was
determined by cell-counting kit-8. The inflammatory cytokines secretion
levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, and IL-10 were measured by
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively. The mRNA levels
of α-SMA, collagen I/III, MMP-2, MMP-9, IL-1β, IL-6,TNF-α, IL-10, IκBα,
p-IκBα, p65 subunit of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and peroxisome
proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) were assessed by real-time
quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The protein levels of α-SMA, collagen I/III,
MMP-2, MMP-9, IκBα, p-IκBα, p65, p-p65 and PPAR-γ were examined by
Western blotting.