Genesis. Shu-Jen Chen et al. found that following transient overexpression of Smad3 and Smad4 in primary human skin fibroblasts, the activation of the a2 (I) procollagen promoter was enhanced. Furthermore, the opposite result was observed in transfected mutant Smad3 demonstrating that Smad3 transmits TGF-b signals from the receptor to the Col I a2 promoter in human fibroblasts, and it is likely to play an important role in stimulation of the ColIa2 promoter activity elicited by TGF-b. InEffects of TLP on Synthesis of CollagensFigure 5. The differential expression of TLP and the associated molecules between Iloprost hypertrophic scars and normal skin tissues. Samples proteins were respectively extracted 
from three different patients’ skin tissue and another three patients’ hypertrophic scar, which were harvested with the same criteria and no history of keloid. (A) Comparison of transcription levels of TLP, TGF-b1, Col I, and Col 1326631 III in hypertrophic scar versus normal skin tissues. (B) Thiazole Orange Western blot analysis of variation between TLP, TGF-b1, Col I, and Col III expression in hypertrophic scar versus normal skin tissues. (C) Determination of grey value of TLP, TGF-b1, Col I, and Col III from hypertrophic scar and skin tissues. Results were shown as mean6SD of gray value. * means P,0.05 between hypertrophic scar and normal skin tissues. The representative analyses of 3 experiments were shown. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055899.gfibroblasts, Smads appear to function as inducible DNA-binding transcription factors [25], as confirmed by the research conducted by Zimin Wang et al. wherein suppression of Smad3 expression in human keloid fibroblasts by RNA interface (RNAi) technology revealed that, in comparison with the control, mRNA levels of types I and III proCollagen were also significantly and uniquely decreased following reduction of Smad3 by siRNA [26]. Furthermore, primary hepatic stellate cells exhibiting overexpression 15755315 ofSmad3 showed increased deposition of fibronectin and type I collagen, thus increasing rates of chemotaxis [27]. Direct evidence supporting the involvement of Smad3 in fibrosis is provided by the use of mice with a targeted deletion of Smad3 [28], wherein the Smad3 knockout animal model obviously inhibits Smad3’s facilitation of TGF-b [29,30]. These various experimental approaches demonstrate the direct implication of Smad3 activation on downstream TGF-b in the pathogenesis of pulmonaryFigure 6. Variabilities of cell proliferation in different group over time. The 
amount of HSFs were counted at the time points of 0 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h after being seeded into 96 plates. Values were expressed as the mean6SD (n = 5) P,0.05 compared to the groups of cell and cell-TGF-b1 using one-way ANOVA. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055899.gEffects of TLP on Synthesis of Collagensfibrosis. However, Smad2-dependent pathway also, to some degree, attributes to the extracellular matrix protein synthesis such as collagens, fibronectin. Previous studies reported that Smad2 inhibition by siRNA significantly downregulated synthesis of fibronectin and collagen type III in TGF-b1-stimulated cells [31]. In the cardiac fibroblasts, the medicine efonidipine could inhibit TGF-b1 nduced Smad2 phosphorylation markedly attenuated synthesis of collagens resulting in cardiac fibrosis [32]. Moreover, the down-regulation of Smad2 expression in keloid fibroblasts can significantly decrease procollagen gene expression. Also, siRNA targeting Smad2 was an efficient reagent with.Genesis. Shu-Jen Chen et al. found that following transient overexpression of Smad3 and Smad4 in primary human skin fibroblasts, the activation of the a2 (I) procollagen promoter was enhanced. Furthermore, the opposite result was observed in transfected mutant Smad3 demonstrating that Smad3 transmits TGF-b signals from the receptor to the Col I a2 promoter in human fibroblasts, and it is likely to play an important role in stimulation of the ColIa2 promoter activity elicited by TGF-b. InEffects of TLP on Synthesis of CollagensFigure 5. The differential expression of TLP and the associated molecules between hypertrophic scars and normal skin tissues. Samples proteins were respectively extracted from three different patients’ skin tissue and another three patients’ hypertrophic scar, which were harvested with the same criteria and no history of keloid. (A) Comparison of transcription levels of TLP, TGF-b1, Col I, and Col 1326631 III in hypertrophic scar versus normal skin tissues. (B) Western blot analysis of variation between TLP, TGF-b1, Col I, and Col III expression in hypertrophic scar versus normal skin tissues. (C) Determination of grey value of TLP, TGF-b1, Col I, and Col III from hypertrophic scar and skin tissues. Results were shown as mean6SD of gray value. * means P,0.05 between hypertrophic scar and normal skin tissues. The representative analyses of 3 experiments were shown. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055899.gfibroblasts, Smads appear to function as inducible DNA-binding transcription factors [25], as confirmed by the research conducted by Zimin Wang et al. wherein suppression of Smad3 expression in human keloid fibroblasts by RNA interface (RNAi) technology revealed that, in comparison with the control, mRNA levels of types I and III proCollagen were also significantly and uniquely decreased following reduction of Smad3 by siRNA [26]. Furthermore, primary hepatic stellate cells exhibiting overexpression 15755315 ofSmad3 showed increased deposition of fibronectin and type I collagen, thus increasing rates of chemotaxis [27]. Direct evidence supporting the involvement of Smad3 in fibrosis is provided by the use of mice with a targeted deletion of Smad3 [28], wherein the Smad3 knockout animal model obviously inhibits Smad3’s facilitation of TGF-b [29,30]. These various experimental approaches demonstrate the direct implication of Smad3 activation on downstream TGF-b in the pathogenesis of pulmonaryFigure 6. Variabilities of cell proliferation in different group over time. The amount of HSFs were counted at the time points of 0 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h after being seeded into 96 plates. Values were expressed as the mean6SD (n = 5) P,0.05 compared to the groups of cell and cell-TGF-b1 using one-way ANOVA. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055899.gEffects of TLP on Synthesis of Collagensfibrosis. However, Smad2-dependent pathway also, to some degree, attributes to the extracellular matrix protein synthesis such as collagens, fibronectin. Previous studies reported that Smad2 inhibition by siRNA significantly downregulated synthesis of fibronectin and collagen type III in TGF-b1-stimulated cells [31]. In the cardiac fibroblasts, the medicine efonidipine could inhibit TGF-b1 nduced Smad2 phosphorylation markedly attenuated synthesis of collagens resulting in cardiac fibrosis [32]. Moreover, the down-regulation of Smad2 expression in keloid fibroblasts can significantly decrease procollagen gene expression. Also, siRNA targeting Smad2 was an efficient reagent with.
