Figure 4.
Effect of silver NPs on the protein expression of PI3K and Akt levels in lung tissues collected from ovalbumin-sensitized and ovalbumin-challenged mice. PI3K or Akt was measured 48 hours after the final challenge in saline-inhaled mice administered saline (SAL), saline-inhaled mice administered 40 mg/kg of silver NPs (Ag40) or SU5614 (SU5614), ovalbumin-inhaled mice administered saline (OVA), and ovalbumin-inhaled mice administered 40 mg/kg of silver NPs (OVA+Ag40) or SU5614 (OVA+SU5614). (A) Western blot analyses of PI3K from lung tissues. (B) Western blot analyses of phosphorylated-Akt protein levels from lung tissues. (C) phosphorylated-Akt levels were quantified using a Gel-Pro Analyzer and plotted as the integrated optical density, using Microsoft Excel. Densitometric analyses are presented as the relative ratio of each molecule to total Akt.
Notes: Bars indicate the mean ± standard error of the mean and are representative of eight independent experiments using different preparations of total lung extracts.
*P < 0.05 versus OVA; #P < 0.05 versus SAL.
Abbreviations: NP, nanoparticle; p-AKT, phosphorylated-Akt; PI3K, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase; T-AKT, total Akt.