Fig. 3.

ApoE deficiency induced a significant reduction in serum hepcidin, hepcidin mRNA, Nrf2 mRNA and protein expression in the liver and spleen of mice.

The hepcidin concentration in the serum, expression of hepcidin and Nrf2 in the liver and spleen of ApoE KO (KO) wild-type and (WT) mice at different ages (1, 2, 4 and 10 m = 1,2, 4, and 10 months) were determined as described in “Methods".

A: Serum hepcidin;

B and C: RT-PCR analysis of hepcidin mRNA in the liver (B) and spleen (C); D and E: Immunofluorescence examination of hepcidin protein in liver (D) and spleen (E) of 10-months old mice (Scale bar = 100 μm); F and G: RT-PCR analysis of Nrf2 mRNA in the liver (F) and spleen (G); H–K: Western blot analysis of Nrf2 in the liver (H and J) and spleen (I and K).

All n = 7 in WT; n = 10 in KO. Data were the mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 vs. WT mice.