Figure 4.

Anti-inflammatory effect of CTRP3 on phenotypic switch and cytokines. (A) When isolated monocytes were cultivated ex vivo with 30% AS for 24 h, they were morphologically similar to cells after 2 h cultivation with 10% FBS. Incubation with 10% FBS for 24 h appeared to have induced spontaneous macrophage differentiation, as characterized by the attached, elongated morphology. Scale bars, 50 µm. (B) Addition of CTRP3 induced a significant enrichment of the intermediate subset of cultivated monocytes. (C and D) LPS-induced stress stimulated expression of (C) interleukin 6 and (D) TNF-α, which was blunted in the presence of CTRP3, highlighting the anti-inflammatory effects of CTRP3 on monocytes. Of note, the inhibitory effect on IL-6 but not TNF-α was partially counteracted when SB203580, a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK inhibitor, was added. *P<0.05 and **P<0.01. CTRP3, complement C1q TNF-related protein-3; AS, autologous serum; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; FBS, fetal bovine serum; LPS, lipopolysaccharides.