Effect of IL-17 on RA FLS apoptosis.

<p>RA FLS were treated with SNP 0.01-1 µM for 24 h and apoptosis measured by SS DNA apoptosis kit (<b>A</b>). The results are presented as the fold induction in apoptosis relative to control samples, n = 3, mean ± SEM of duplicate experiments from 3 different RA donors. * <i>P</i><0.05 compared to no treatment control. RA FLS were treated with SNP 0.01–1 µM for 24 h (<b>B, left panel</b>) or 0.1 µM over 24 h (<b>B, right panel</b>) and synoviolin expression measured by real-time RT-PCR. The results are expressed as the ratio of synoviolin/β-actin mRNA amplification, n = 3, mean ± SEM of duplicate experiments from 3 different RA donors. * <i>P</i><0.05 compared to no treatment control. RA FLS were pretreated with IL-17 100 ng/ml for 2 h then cotreated with SNP 0.1-1 µM for 24 h and apoptosis measured by SS DNA apoptosis kit (<b>C</b>). The results are presented as the fold induction in apoptosis relative to control samples, n = 3, mean ± SEM of duplicate experiments from 3 different RA donors. * <i>P</i><0.05 compared to no treatment control. RA FLS were treated as above and annexin V analysed. Representative serial fluorescent microscopic pictures of Annexin V positive cells (green), double labelled with Propidium iodide (PI, red) at magnification x 200 (<b>D</b>).