Figure 7.

ASX-loaded microparticles inhibit the activity of intracellular convertases in J774A.1 cells. The activity of intracellular convertases was measured in cell extracts using the convertases-specific fluorogenic substrate Boc-RVRR-AMC. (a) Fluorescence kinetics measured for cells treated with ASX-loaded microparticles (P-ASX) or left untreated (ctrl). (b),(c) The overall amount of substrate conversion by convertases was quantified as the area beneath the fluorescence kinetics curves (AUC) as those shown in (a) and obtained in independent assays with cells treated with ASX-loaded particles (P-ASX, (b)) or empty particles (P, (c)). ASX treatments significantly inhibit convertase activity ((b), $p=0.028$ Student-t test), an effect that is not observed for empty particles ((c), $p=0.94$ Student-t test).