Western blots comparing losartan and water groups.
Immunoblots for pERK1/2, ERK1/2, pSmad2, pSmad3, Smad2/3 and GAPDH for 12 scleral specimen groups. (1) water control; (2) losartan control; (3) fellow eyes of water-treated glaucoma; (4) fellow eyes of losartan-treated glaucoma; (5) water-treated glaucoma; and (6) losartan-treated glaucoma. Graphs show quantification by densitometry of blots, indicating the ratio of the activated molecules to the total amount of that molecular species: pERK/total ERK, pSmad2/total Smad2/3, and pSmad3/total Smad2/3. The comparisons are among all types of glaucoma eyes compared to naïve control eyes at 3 days (left group) and 1 week (right group) after glaucoma. Water-glaucoma group in blue shows 3-fold elevation in pERK/ERK ratio, while no difference from control is seen in losartan-glaucoma eyes. At one week, both water and losartan glaucoma eyes have substantial reduction in pERK/ERK ratio compared to controls. Very mild increases are seen in pSmad ratios in either water or losartan groups. See S1 Fig for original western blots.