Figure 4.

LPS-induced TNF mRNA expression. qRT-PCR analysis of TNF mRNA levels in mouse circumvallate and foliate epithelium (left), cultured taste organoids (middle), and cultured Raw264.7 cells (right) at various time points after LPS treatments (2.5 mg/kg i.p. for mice and 1 µg/mL in culture medium for organoids and Raw264.7 cells). For LPS treatment in vivo (left), control (CT) mice were injected with PBS (vehicle) and taste epithelia were collected 2 h after PBS injection. Control samples (CT, without LPS treatment) for organoids and Raw264.7 cells (middle and right) were cultured under the same condition as the LPS treatment groups and were collected at the last time point (48 h). Relative quantification was performed using β-actin as the endogenous control. TNF mRNA levels in control samples were set to 1. Data are mean ± SEM. N = 2–8 per time point.