Fig. 5

The pharmacological effects of CKN may be associated with the LXRα pathway. RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated with 50 µg/mL ox-LDL, 50 µg/mL ox-LDL + CKN (30 μM) and 50 µg/mL ox-LDL + CKN (3, 10, and 30 μM) for 24 h. The cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and stained with DIPY (blue fluorescence), anti-LXRα antibody (green fluorescence) and anti-ABCA1 antibody (red fluorescence). Scale bars: 50 µm (A). Quantitative analysis of LXRα and ABCA1 fluorescence intensity (B and C). Western blotting was used to examine LXRα and ABCA1 protein expression in CKN-treated or untreated macrophages (D). Western blot analysis of LXRα (E) and ABCA1 (F) in macrophages treated with CKN. RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with CKN (100 μM) for 24 h. LXRα (green fluorescence) was found in the cytoplasm of RAW264.7 cells. Scale bars: 50 µm (G). CKN treatment did not change the total expression of LXRα (H). After CKN treatment, the LXRα (green fluorescence) signal was significantly decreased in the cytoplasm but increased in the nucleus (blue fluorescence) (I). Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 3) and were analyzed by ANOVA with Dunnett’s post-hoc analysis. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001