Figure 3.
Blocking hepatic infiltration of monocytes and macrophages by CCR2/CCR5 inhibition in acute liver injury. (A) Acute liver injury was induced by a single CCl4 injection. Mice (n = 4 per group) received vehicle (Vhc), CCR2/CCR5 inhibitor (CCR2/5i) and/or PEG-FGF21 variant (FGF21v). Liver injury and immune cell migration was assessed 36 h after injury induction. (B) H&E and F4/80 immunohistochemistry staining of representative liver sections of control and treatments groups (×10 magnification; scale bars = 100 µm). (C,D) Quantification of F4/80 positive area fraction. Hepatic injury was assessed by necrotic area fraction and serum alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST) transaminase levels. (E–G) Representative flow cytometric plots of blood (MO = monocytes; Granulo = granulocytes) and liver (MO = monocytes; MoMF = monocyte-derived macrophages; KC = Kupffer cells) immune cell populations and corresponding quantification. Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 6–8 per group), ns = non-significant, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 (one-way ANOVA with post-hoc testing).