Interleukin-27 Protects Cardiomyocyte-Like H9c2 Cells against Metabolic Syndrome: Role of STAT3 Signaling

Figure 3

Effects of IL-27 on STAT3 activity and cytochrome c release from H9c2 cells. (a) IL-27 increased the activity of STAT3 in a time-dependent manner compared with that in control (vehicle-treated) cells. (b) Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release by control cells indicates spontaneous turnover during cell growth. Note that IL-27 had no effect on LDH release. (c) Changes in STAT3 activity after 48 h of treatment with GSC, IL-27, or GSC + IL-27. Note that IL-27 partially reversed the glucose, sodium, and cholesterol (GSC) induced reduction in STAT3 activity. (d) Effects of GSC and IL-27 on LDH release. Note that the GSC-mediated increase in LDH release was attenuated by IL-27. (e) Apoptosis was evaluated by assessing the cytosolic levels of cytochrome c (Cyto c). Western blots showing the expression of cytochrome c in three representative cultures. Equal amounts of protein (20 μg per lane) were loaded. The bar graph shows changes in cytochrome c expression (as measured by densitometry) after normalization against actin. of experiments performed at each time-point or in each group. AU, arbitrary units. versus the zero time-point or the control (C) group; versus the IL-27 group; versus the GSC group.

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