Fig. 3.
Cytokine production by macrophages exposed to heat-killed bacteria cells (PAR5) and bacterial-conditioned media (BCM). Levels of TNF-α (a), IL-6 (b), IL-12p40 (c), and IL-10 (d) were analyzed by ELISA of supernatants collected from 24-h cultures of macrophages (5 × 105/well). Macrophages were activated with tested bacteria used at 20:1 and 100:1 ratios of PAR5:macrophages or with bacterial-conditioned media (5, 10, 20% of total volume). Orange bars: PAR5-8 h and BCM-8 h. Black bars: PAR5-72 h and BCM-72 h. Cytokine levels in non-stimulated cells were: TNF-α < 0.036 ng/ml, IL-6 below the detection limit, for IL-10 < 0.010 ng/ml and IL-12p40, < 0.180 ng/ml. Data are mean ± SEM values of three independent experiments. Each group was run in triplicates. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.005 for 8 h vs. 72 h, Student’s t test. (Color figure online)