Figure 6.

Ator attenuates cell apoptosis in HUVECs. (A) Terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay was used to examine cell apoptosis in HUVECs following 24 h treatment with Ang II, Ator or both. Arrows indicate apoptotic cells. The protein expression levels of BCL-2, BAX and caspase-3 were determined using western blot analysis in HUVECs following treatment with (B) Ang II and Ang II + Ator or (C) Ator alone for 24 h. GAPDH was used as the loading control. Scale bar, 20 µm. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error of the mean, n=3. *P<0.05 vs. control group; #P<0.05 as indicated. HUVECs, human umbilical vein endothelial cells; CON, untreated control; Ator, atorvastatin; Ang II, angiotensin II; LC3, microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3; BCL-2, B-cell lymphoma 2; BAX, Bcl-2-associated X.