Fig. 2

TLR7 deficiency reduces renal damage and fibrosis in the adenine diet model. A Study design for the administration of a chow diet or adenine diet to WT and TLR7 knock out (KO) mice. B Serum BUN levels of WT and TLR7 KO mice fed a chow diet or adenine diet. #p < 0.05 versus chow diet-fed WT mice. *p < 0.05 versus adenine diet-fed WT mice. C KIM-1 protein levels were detected in the kidneys of WT and TLR7 KO mice fed a chow diet or adenine diet for 3 weeks via western blotting. α-tubulin was used as a loading control. D Representative H&E staining images of the kidneys of WT and TLR7 KO mice fed a chow diet or adenine diet for 3 weeks. Scale bar = 50 μm. E Relative mRNA levels of fibrosis-associated genes (Tgfb, Acta2, Col1a2, Col3a1, and Vim1) in the kidneys of WT and TLR7 KO mice fed a chow diet or adenine diet for 3 weeks. #p < 0.05 versus chow diet-fed WT mice. *p < 0.05 versus adenine diet-fed WT mice. F COL1 and αSMA protein levels were detected in the kidneys of WT and TLR7 KO mice fed a chow diet- or adenine diet for 3 weeks via western blotting. α-tubulin was used as a loading control. G Representative images of Sirius red (SR) staining of the kidneys of WT and TLR7 KO mice fed a chow diet or adenine diet for 3 weeks. Scale bar = 50 μm. H SR staining positive areas were calculated to determine the extent of fibrosis in each group. #p < 0.05 versus chow diet-fed WT mice. *p < 0.05 versus adenine diet-fed WT mice. I Representative ISH images of Col1a1 (Green) gene in the kidneys of WT and TLR7 KO mice fed chow diet or adenine diet. Scale bar = 50 μm