Figure 2.

Rapamycin and simvastatin decrease the fractions of MDSCs and M2 macrophages, an effect that is reversed by mevalonate treatment. (A) Rapamycin (20 nM) and (B) simvastatin (2 μM) with or without 200 μM mevalonate were used to treat THP-1 cells for 48 h. Next, the expression levels of MDSC (CD33⁺/CD68⁺ and Arg-1⁺/CD68⁺) and M2 macrophage (CD206⁺/CD68⁺ and CD163⁺/CD68⁺) markers were analyzed by flow cytometry. Data are expressed as the means ± standard errors of the three different experiments; * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.005. THP-1 cells were pre-treated with 100 nM PMA for 6 h. (C) and then were treated with or without 2 mM metformin or 20 nM rapamycin for 48 h. 18Co Cells were grown in serum-supplemented culture media, washed with PBS and starved overnight in serum-free media. After 2 days, this medium was harvested, and THP-1 cells were grown in 18Co CM and treated with or without 2 mM metformin or 20 nM rapamycin for 48 h. (D) Next, the expression levels of MDSC (CD33⁺/CD68⁺ and Arg-1⁺/CD68⁺) and M2 macrophage (CD206⁺/CD68⁺ and CD163⁺/CD68⁺) markers were analyzed by flow cytometry analysis. Data are expressed as the means ± standard errors of the three different experiments; * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.005.