Figure 1.

The effect of f-MLP on the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines induced by SiO₂-NPs in monocytes and PMNs. A) Dose response of IL-1β, IL-6 (monocytes) and IL-8 (monocytes and PMNs) induction by SiO₂-NPs in the absence and in the presence of 1 nM f-MLP. Data are the mean ± SE (N=3); B) Representative RT-PCR analysis, out of three, of the kinetics of the transcription of preIL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNFα genes in monocytes treated with f-MLP or NPs only, or in combination, as indicated; h indicates the incubation time expressed in hours. mRNA production is expressed as multiples of the value measured in cells treated with f-MLP only after 1 hour.