Fig. 3

Activin, but not TGF-β, controls coagulation factors through HNF4α in LPCs. (A) Quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to measure the effects of activin (AC), TGF-β, and SB431542 (SB) administration for 24 h on mRNA and protein expression of cadherin-1 (cdh1)/E-cadherin, HNF4α, albumin (ALB), and F5 in BMOL cells. (B) Quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to measure the impact of activin receptor like kinase 4 (ALK4) knockdown on mRNA and protein expression of cdh1/E-cadherin, HNF4α, albumin, and F5 in activin-treated HepaRG and BMOL cells. (C) Quantitative PCR and western blot measure mRNA and protein expression of HNF4α, F2, and F5 in HepaRG and BMOL cells with or without HNF4α knockdown by RNAi. (D) ChIP assay was performed to examine the effect of activin A (activin) and SB431542 on the binding of HNF4α to F2 and F5 gene promoters in HepaRG and BMOL cells. (E) Quantitative PCR measures the effects of activin on mRNA expression of HNF4α, F2, and F5 in primary human LPCs, and mRNA expression of F2 and F5 in primary human LPCs with or without RNAi-mediated depletion of HNF4α. Expression of PPIA was used as loading control in ChIP assay. Tubulin was used as a loading control in western blotting. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001. AC, activin A; CON, control; SB, SB431542