Fig. 7: IL-1β/STAT3 axis contributing to the functional alterations process of macrophage-like vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC).

a Western blot assay shows the expressions of IL-1β in RAW264.7 cells cultured with different concentrations of ox-LDL (n = 6 samples in each group). b Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) validates the positive correlation of IL-1β and ox-LDL in RAW264.7 cells medium (RM) (n = 6 samples in each group). c The expression of macrophage marker (CD68) and VSMC marker (α-SMA) according to different durations of RM treatment shown in western blot (n = 4–8 samples in each group as datapoints showing). d The expression of downstream transcription factors (STAT3 and EPAS1) of IL-1β according to different durations of RM treatment shown in western blot (n = 4–8 samples in each group as datapoints showing). e The expression of p-STAT3 could be reversed by interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) shown in western blot (n = 6 samples in each group). f Western blot assays illustrate the effect of IL-1β/STAT3 on adhesion (ICAM-1, VCAM-1), inflammation (p-p65, p65, MCP-1), and apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3) of macrophage-like VSMC. The adhesion (g), inflammation (h), apoptosis (i) of macrophage-like VSMC can be reversed by inhibition of IL-1β and activation of STAT3, and the effect of inhibition of IL-1β can be reversed by inhibition of STAT3 (Stattic: the inhibitor of STAT3; Colivelin: the activator of STAT3) (n = 6 samples in each group). The expressions were plotted along with group mean ± SE. Significance is indicated as follows: *P < 0.05. For two groups, data were compared by Mann–Whitney test.