Fig. 5. Rho kinase inhibitors disrupt fibrillin-1 microfibril assembly by human dermal fibroblasts. (A) Representative confocal microscopy images of microfibril assembly (using PRO pAb; red) and fibronectin (using FN-3E2 mAb to cellular fibronectin; green) in the presence or absence of either of two ROCK inhibitors (H1152 or Y27632) or DMSO (dimethylsulphoxide) control, at 5 days. Cell nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Microfibril assembly was grossly disrupted in the ROCK-inhibitor-treated cells. Scale bars: 50 µm. (B) Representative confocal microscopy images of F-actin stress fibres, stained with phalloidin, in the presence or absence of either H1152 or Y27632 or DMSO control, at 5 days. Stress fibres were markedly reduced in the inhibitor-treated cultures. These experiments were repeated three times.