Upstream and downstream relationship between mTOR, NF-κB, LOX-1 and ox-LDL uptake in HUVECs.

<p>(A, B) Western blotting showed that inhibition of mTOR significantly reduced the increase in the expression of LOX-1 protein expression induced by ox-LDL. ***P < 0.001 versus control; ###P < 0.001 versus ox-LDL; NS = not significant. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 3. (C-E) Western blotting showed that inhibition of NF-κB significantly reduced the increase in the expression of LOX-1 protein expression induced by ox-LDL. ***P < 0.001 versus control; ###P < 0.001 versus ox-LDL; NS = not significant. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 3. (F) q-PCR indicated that mTOR and NF-κB knockdown reduced the upregulated expression of LOX-1 mRNA induced by ox-LDL. **P < 0.01 versus control; ###P < 0.001 versus ox-LDL. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 3. (G, H) IκBα phosphorylation and (I-K) mTOR phosphorylation were analyzed by western blotting, which showed that mTOR deficiency significantly reduced the IκBα phosphorylation triggered by ox-LDL, whereas inhibition of NF-κB did not reduce mTOR phosphorylation induced by ox-LDL. **P < 0.01 versus control; ***P < 0.001 versus control; ##P < 0.01 versus ox-LDL group; NS = not significant. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 3.