Fig. 2.

Macrophages overexpressing VLDLR accumulate triglycerides and induce expression of pro-inflammatory genes in the presence of VLDL. Peritoneal macrophages were transfected with pcDNA3.1-mock (Mock) vector or pcDNA3.1-VLDLR (VLDLR) expression vector. Total RNA was isolated to analyze VLDLR mRNA expression (a) and whole cell lysates were extracted for western blot analysis (b). c–e Human VLDL (30 μg/ml) was treated to cultures of peritoneal macrophages that had been transfected or not with VLDLR overexpression vector. Intracellular triglyceride (c) and cholesterol (d) levels in peritoneal macrophages. e mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory genes were analyzed with (+) or without (−) human VLDL challenges in peritoneal macrophages. Each mRNA level was normalized to cyclophilin mRNA. Data represent mean ± SD. ^# P < 0.05 vs. VLDL; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, Student’s t-test