Changes in the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in BV-2 microglial cell culture stimulated for 4 hr with LPS 6.25 ng/ml with and without 12 mM sodium acetate. Panel A shows representative images of the Western blots. Panels B, D and F show the optical densities of the pro-inflammatory cytokines pro-IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, respectively, normalized to the loading control α-tubulin. Panels C, E and G show the changes in the mRNA levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, quantified by qrt-PCR and normalized to β-actin. Bars represent means ± SD where statistical significance (a = compared to NaCl, and b = compared to LPS + NaCl) was set at p ≤ 0.05 (n = 6, except pro-IL-1β where n = 5), as determined by a one way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test.