Figure 4.

Changes in levels of proteins associated with uterine activation in the mouse myometrium after different lipopolysaccharide (LPS) serotype treatments. Protein levels of IL-1β (A–C), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2; A and D), and CX-43 (A and E) were examined using Western blot analysis in myometrial protein lysates collected from pregnant mice 6 hours after phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or LPS intrauterine injection. Differing protein levels of pro–IL-1β and cleaved IL-1β are detected in samples treated with the various LPS serotypes (B and C). Differing degrees of COX-2 expression are also observed. n = 5 (A–E). ^∗P < 0.05, ^∗∗P < 0.01, and ^∗∗∗P < 0.001, versus PBS-injected control dams; ^†P < 0.05, within LPS treatment group (one-way analysis of variance with Tukey's post hoc test). AU, arbitrary unit; CAL, calibrator.