ACTA1 and Myocardial fibrosis: Tanshinone inhibits myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in rat CFs (220), which reduces the nuclear translocation of Smads and the expression of fibronectin genes (221, 222), as well as decreases the protein levels of fibroblast markers, such as α-SMA, collagen I and III, periosteum proliferating protein and TGF-β, and increases the number of MMP-1 in AngII-treated CFs (223, 224), thereby interfering with the Smad-dependent TGF-β pathway.