Figure 2
From: Connexin 43 Hemichannel as a Novel Mediator of Sterile and Infectious Inflammatory Diseases
Cx43 mimetic peptides GAP26 and GAP19 divergently affected macrophage hemichannel activities and septic lethality. (a) Amino acid sequence and membrane topology of Cx43. The relative localizations and sequences of two mimetic peptides, GAP26 and GAP19 were indicated. (b) GAP26 and GAP19 divergently affect macrophage hemichannel activities. RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with LPS (0.5 μg/ml) in the absence or presence of GAP26 (100 μM) or TAT-GAP19 (200 μM) for 16 h, and subsequently incubated with Lucifer Yellow (LY, 1 mg/ml) for 15 min. After fixation and three extensive washes, the number of cells with diffused fluorescent signals was counted under a fluorescence microscope, and expressed as a percentage of total cell numbers (DAPI-stained nuclei) in six fields. *P < 0.05 versus “−LPS”; # P < 0.05 versus “+LPS”. (c) Divergent effects of GAP26 and TAT-GAP19 on septic animal lethality. Balb/c mice were subjected to CLP-induced sepsis, and intraperitoneally administered with saline, GAP26 or TAT-GAP19 at +6, +18 and +36 h post CLP. Animal survival rates were monitored for two weeks and no later death occurred.
