Figure 4. Leptin treatment decreases Nox1 expression and vascular inflammation.

Real‐time PCR quantification of aortic NADPH oxidases subunits (A), aortic inflammatory gene markers (B). Aortic H₂O₂ levels measured by Amplex Red (C) from Ctrl and ritonavir‐treated mice (ritonavir, 5 mg/kg per day for 4 weeks, ip) in the presence or absence of leptin treatment (0.3 mg/kg per day for 1 week, via osmotic mini‐pump). Real‐time PCR quantification of aortic leptin receptor (D) from control (Ctrl), Nox1‐deficient mice (Nox1−/−), CCR5‐deficient mice (CCR5−/−), and ritonavir‐treated mice (ritonavir, 5 mg/kg per day for 4 weeks, ip). H₂O₂ content data are presented as mean±SEM. Gene expression data are presented as Min. to Max. N=4 to 8; *P<0.05 vs Ctrl; ^† P<0.05 vs leptin and ritonavir. CCL5 indicates C‐C motif chemokine ligand 5; CCR5, C‐C chemokine receptor 5; Ctrl, control; F4/80, the macrophage marker F4/80; IL‐1β, interleukin‐1β; GATA3, GATA binding protein 3; Nox1, NADPH oxidase 1; PCR, polymerase chain reaction.