Figure 7. (A) Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of
caspase-3 mRNA expression in Leydig cells cultured for 24 hours in control
medium (C) and medium supplemented with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF).
(B) Western blot analysis of proteins extracted from control and
HGF-treated Leydig cells. Proteins were detected with an anti–caspase-3
polyclonal antibody and anti-tubulin monoclonal antibody. (C)
Densitometric scanning of the active fragment (17 kd) of caspase-3. The values
of the samples treated with HGF are reported as percentages with respect to
the control values arbitrarily considered as "1." (D)
Values of the densitometric scanning of caspase-3 active fragment (dark
columns) and precursor (dotted columns) in control and HGF-treated cells. In C
and D, the 
± SE of the 3 experiments
performed is reported and (*) vs C, P < .05.
