Fig. 5.

Expression levels of oxidative/nitrosative stress markers, GS, and GLAST in the cerebral cortex of control patients and patients with cirrhosis without HE. Data were obtained from four Australian control patients and four Australian patients with cirrhosis without HE. Protein extracts prepared from the cerebral cortex were analyzed for expression level of (A) tyrosine-nitrated proteins (NO₂Tyr), (C) Hsp27, and (D) GLAST by western blot analysis. GAPDH served as a loading control. Expression levels were quantified by densitometric analysis and are given relative to GAPDH expression. (B) Oxidized RNA was detected by northwestern blot analysis in total RNA extracts prepared from the cerebral cortex. (E) Activity of GS was determined as described in the Materials and Methods. Each control patient and patient with cirrhosis included in this study is shown separately in the vertical scatter plot; bars represent the mean values. n.s., not significant.