Fig. 2. Effect of HO-1 inhibition on quercetin action in co-cultures of lipid-laden hepatocytes with macrophages.

Primary hepatocytes were treated with palmitic acid (BSA: palmitic acid ratio 1:5) for 12h. Raw 264.7 macrophages were then co-cultured with the lipid-laden hepatocytes for 12h in the presence or absence of quercetin or ZnPP. L-Hepa; lipid-laden hepatocytes, Co-culture; lipid-laden hepatocytes and macrophages, Que; quercetin. (A) HO-1 protein was measured by western blotting in macrophages. Results are means ± SEM of two experiments with duplicate determinations. ^* P < 0.05, ^*** P < 0.001 compared with no treatment. (B) MCP-1 production detected by ELISA in co-cultured lipid-laden hepatocytes and macrophages. Results are means ± SEM of triplicate samples. ^* P < 0.05, ^*** P < 0.001 compared with quercetin treatment. (C) M1 macrophage mRNAs in co-cultured lipid-laden hepatocytes and macrophages determined by real-time PCR. Results are means ± SEM of quadruplicate samples. ^* P < 0.05, ^** P < 0.01, ^*** P < 0.001 compared with quercetin treatment.