FIG 8.

Albumin neutralizes hydrophobic toxins. (A) Damage of kidney cells measured by host cell LDH release 18 h after the addition of 0 to 5 μM the bee venom melittin in the presence or absence of 10 mg/ml albumin. (B) Damage of kidney cells measured by host cell LDH release 18 h after the addition of 0 to 15 μg/ml streptolysin O in the presence or absence of 10 mg/ml albumin. (C) Viability of kidney cells measured by an MTT assay 18 h after exposure to 0 to 10 μM α-amanitin in the presence or absence of 10 mg/ml albumin. (D) Apoptosis of kidney cells measured by Annexin-V staining after 1 h of exposure to 1 μM staurosporin the presence or absence of 5 mg/ml albumin. Bars represent mean values and the SEM of n = 3 (A and D) or n = 4 (B and C) independent experiments. Significances were calculated using a paired, parametric, two-tailed Student t test and compared to the control (= 0 mg/ml albumin) (*, P ≤ 0.05; **, P ≤ 0.01).