FIGURE 2.

CTRP9 increases the cholesterol efflux level as well as the protein expression level of reverse cholesterol transporters in foam cells. A, Per the cholesterol efflux assay kit instructions, differentiated macrophages were cultured for 16 hours using the fluorescence-labeled cholesterol, followed by being treated with CTRP9 (0.3, 1, and 3 μg/mL) and human HDL with a concentration of 50 μg/mL or apoA-1 with a concentration of 10 μg/mL. The data are expressed as levels relative to those in the ox-LDL group. B, Protein expression level of ABCA1 and ABCG1 were accessed by Western blot after the foam cells were treated with different concentrations of CTRP9. Values obtained represent the mean ± SD of 3 experiments performed separately. **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001 versus the ox-LDL group.