Figure 4
From: Chemopreventive effects of berberine on intestinal tumor development in Apc min/+mice
Berberine down-regulates COX-2 expression and PGE 2 production. (A-B) Tumors of the distal small intestine from untreated and 0.1% berberine-treated groups were immunostained using COX-2 antibody. Immunoreactivity scoring using a modified semiquantitative scoring system was shown (400×). Scale bars, 50 μm. (C) Protein lysates were prepared from tumors and analyzed by Western blot analysis. Anti-β-actin antibody was used as a protein loading control. The protein band ratio was calculated by comparing the relative density of the protein band on Western blots for COX-2 to that of internal control band from the same mouse. The average ratio in control was set as 100%, the fold change of the ratio in treated mice was shown. (D) PGE2 levels of normal mucosa from untreated and 0.1% berberine-treated groups were detected by ELISA. Columns, means from at least six mice in each group for immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, and ten mice in each group for ELISA assay; bars, standard deviation. *, P < 0.01, 0.1% berberine-treated vs untreated Apc min/+ mice.