Fig. 3. Effects of PREPi on lipid droplet accumulation in Palmitic Acid (PA)-Treated HepG2 cell. (A) Nile red staining images in control and treatment groups. (B) Lipid quantification of Nile red-stained cells via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). (C) Relative mRNA expression analysis of PREP (prolyl endopeptidase) in control, PA alone, and in combination with PREPi. (D) Relative mRNA expression analysis of FAS (fatty acid synthase) in all three groups. (E) Relative mRNA expression analysis of SREBP-1c (Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein-1c) expression in all three groups. All data are presented as means ± SD. Statistical significance is indicated as follows: p < 0.05 (*), p < 0.01 (**), p < 0.001 (***), p < 0.0001 (****), “ns” denotes non-significant difference.
