Expression levels of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene
measured by real-time PCR in Dicentrarchus labrax head kidney cells
in the course of the perfusion trial. StAR mRNA copy number was normalised as a
ratio to 100 ng total RNA. Cells were sampled after the stabilisation period (0 h),
60 min after highly unsaturated fatty acids (FA) incubation (EPA, DHA, arachidonic
acid (ARA), linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA)), 20 min after
adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) stimulation, and then sequentially at 40, 60,
110, 160 and 250 min following the ACTH pulse. The means of three replicates in each
sampling point are shown. Bars indicate standard error of the mean. a,b
Different letters for a given time indicate significant differences
(P < 0·05).