Figure 1. Deletion of STAT3 and RelA in hepatocytes eliminates acute phase protein induction.

(A) PCR confirmed gene incorporations of Cre-recombinase driven by an albumin promoter (Alb-Cre^tg) and LoxP insertions in Rela and Stat3 alleles. TCR-δ was an amplification control. (B) Immunoblots revealed liver-specific deletion of STAT3 and RelA in CRE⁺ mice. (C) qRT-PCR was performed to determine Saa1, Sap, and Lbp mRNA induction in response to intratracheal (i.t.) S. pneumoniae (serotype 3; 10⁶ CFU), i.t. E. coli (10⁶ CFU), i.v. cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), or s.c. casein. Values represent fold induction compared with that in uninfected CRE^– mice, expressed as geometric means ± geometric SEM. *P < 0.05 (n = 3–10 mice/group). (D) Plasma concentrations of SAA and SAP were quantified in samples collected 24 hours after i.t. S. pneumoniae using ELISA and expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 3–11 mice/group). *P < 0.05, effect of infection; ^†P < 0.05, effect of genotype.