Fig. 3

Inhibitory effect of allicin on ox-LDL-induced ROS overproduction and NADPH oxidase activation. a After pre-treated with allicin (10, 30, 100 μM) for 20 min, cells were exposed to ox-LDL (150 μg/mL) for 2 h followed by a 1-h incubation with superoxide-sensitive fluorescent probe DHE (10 μM). Fluorescence intensity of cells was measured with a fluorescence microplate reader. Fluorescence distribution of DHE oxidation is expressed as a percentage of increased intensity. b Allicin attenuated the level of NADPH oxidase activation. HUVECs were pretreated with allicin at indicated concentrations for 2 mins followed by 24 h of ox-LDL (150 μg/mL) exposure. NADPH oxidase activity was determined by colorimetric analysis. Values are means ± SD from three independent experiments. ^**P <0.01 vs. control, ^#P <0.05, ^##P <0.01 vs. ox-LDL