Fig. 2.
Decreased hepatocyte autophagy sensitizes mice to LPS-induced liver injury. A: serum ALT levels in littermate control (Con) and Atg7Δhep knockout (KO) mice at the indicated hours after LPS treatment. B: semiquantitative histological grading of the degree of liver injury in the same mice. C: representative hematoxylin- and eosin-stained liver sections (arrows indicate areas of injury). D: images of TUNEL-stained livers from Con and KO mice at the times indicated (arrows indicate TUNEL-positive cells). E: quantification of the numbers of TUNEL-positive cells. F: immunoblots of total liver protein from single mice probed for caspase-3 and -7 and tubulin as a loading control. Arrows indicate the procaspases (Pro), cleaved p17 and p19 caspase forms, and tubulin molecular mass. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, compared with Con mice at the same time; n = 3–11. G: relative levels of caspase-3 activity in mouse livers at 24 h after LPS administration. *P < 0.04; n = 3–6. Values are means ± SE.