Figure 2. Effect of triptolide on the poly(I:C)-induced expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in human corneal fibroblasts. A, C: Cells were incubated for 1 h in the presence of the indicated concentrations of triptolide and then for 24 h in the additional absence or presence of poly(I:C) at 1 µg/ml. The culture supernatants were then collected and subjected to immunoblot analysis with antibodies to MMP-1 (A) and to MMP-3 (C). Data are representative of three independent experiments. B, D: Cells were incubated for 1 h in the absence or presence of triptolide (10 pM) and then for 24 h in the additional absence or presence of poly(I:C) at 1 µg/ml. Total RNA was then isolated from the cells and subjected to RT and real-time PCR analysis of MMP-1 (B) and MMP-3 (D) mRNAs. Data were normalized by the abundance of GAPDH mRNA and are presented in arbitrary units; they are means±SEM from three separate experiments. *p<0.05 (Dunnett’s test) versus the corresponding value for cells cultured with poly(I:C) but without triptolide.