Research Article

Equisetum arvense L. Extract Induces Antibacterial Activity and Modulates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Endothelial Vascular Cells Exposed to Hyperosmotic Stress

Figure 4

The expressions of NF-κB, pNF-κB, IκB, and pIκB in endothelial cells exposed to hyperosmotic stress and pretreated with low dose of Equisetum arvense L., caffeic acid, and cathechin. (a) Comparative Western blot images showing expressions of NF-κB, pNF-κB, IκB, and pIκB in HUVECs exposed to normotonic and hypertonic conditions and treated with the three compounds. (b) Image analysis of Western blot bands was done by densitometry; results were normalised to GAPDH. Western blot images: 1 = cells in normotonic medium, 2 = cells in normotonic medium treated with Equisetum arvense L., 3 = cells in normotonic medium treated with caffeic acid, 4 = cells in normotonic medium treated with cathechin, 5 = cells in hypertonic medium, 6 = cells in hypertonic medium treated with Equisetum arvense L., 7 = cells in hypertonic medium treated with caffeic acid, and 8 = cells in hypertonic medium treated with cathechin. Graphical representation of the quantitative Western blot results for HUVECs in the two conditions. Two-way ANOVA, followed by Dunnett’s multiple test, was used to evaluate the statistical significance of differences in the mean values of the measured parameters. Each bar represents mean ± standard deviation (), , , and , treated versus untreated cells in hypertonic medium; , , and , hypertonic medium versus the parameters in normotonic conditions.
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