Figure 5. TAF blocks the phosphorylation of AKT in monocytes/MPs.
(A) The expression of AKT and mTOR in mock or TAF-treated STZ-injected, HFHC diet-fed NASH mice liver tissues were analysed using western blotting. The relative expression of phosphorylated proteins was normalised to total protein expression. Data are representative of three independent experiments. The graph in the right panel shows the quantitative densitometry immunoblotting analysis results. (B) Experimental scheme of isolated peripheral CD14+monocytes. Cells were pre-treated with TAF (1, 5 μM) for 6 h and stimulated with 1 μg/mL LPS for 24 h. Dot plots of surface human leukocyte antigen-DR isotype (HLA-DR) and PD-L1 levels in stimulated monocytes treated with mock or TAF. Data are representative of five independent experiments. (C) Frequency of PD-L1+/HLA-DR+ cells in activated CD14+ monocyte cells treated with mock or TAF. (D) MFIs of PD-L1 and HLA-DR in activated CD14+ monocyte cells after mock or TAF treatment. (E) Representative dot plots of AKT and pAKT expression in mock or TAF-treated activated peripheral CD14+ monocytes analysed using flow cytometry. MFI of pAKT in mock- or TAF-treated activated peripheral CD14+ monocytes, analysed using flow cytometry. (F) Schematic representation of the TAF role in NASH liver. *p<0.05, **p <0.001, ***p<0.001.