Figure 8.

Depletion of Kupffer cells enhances Efavirenz-induced liver injury in vivo. (A–C) Confirmation of macrophage depletion in mice administered with gadolinium chloride (GdCl₃): relative mRNA expression levels of F4/80 (RT-PCR), representative images showing F4/80 immunostaining in murine livers (magnification 20×), and representative Western Blot image of F4/80 (each blot lane represents one mouse per condition—saline and GdCl₃−) and summary of densitometry data (n = 6). (D) Heatmap representing color-coded expression levels of differentially expressed inflammatory and fibrogenic genes (assessed by RT-PCR). Data were normalized versus the housekeeping gene β-actin (n = 5). (E) Liver MPO activity (n = 5). Data (mean ± SEM) were analyzed by a one-way ANOVA multiple comparison test followed by a Newman–Keuls test (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01 versus vehicle) or by a Student’s t-test (^## p < 0.01, ^### p < 0.001).