Fig 6. Glucose and statins decrease cholesterol efflux from macrophages.

(A) RAW264.7 macrophages were plated with 0.5 μCi/mL [1,2-³H]cholesterol, 10 μg/mL acetylated low-density lipoprotein, and 30 μg/mL of cholesterol in DMEM containing 0.2% BSA with 25 μg/mL lipid-free apolipoprotein A1 (apoAI) for the indicated time period (n = 4). Cholesterol efflux was expressed as the percentage of radioactivity in the medium relative to the total radioactivity (medium and cell lysate). (B) RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with different concentrations of glucose as indicated for 24 h in present or absent of apoAI. The effect of glucose on cholesterol efflux was measured as described in (A). RAW264.7 macrophages (C) or BMDMs (D) were treated with atorvastatin (ATV) or pitavastatin (PTV) at 1 and 10 μM in the present or absent of lipid-free human apoA1 acceptor for 24 h and the apoA1-mediated cholesterol efflux was calculated as described in (A). Results represent mean±SEM of at least three independent experiments. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 versus control group.