Fig 2: The effect of meleagrin on the protein expression levels of Bax in the lung tissue of the experimental mice determined by immunohistochemistry. Bax = B cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein. Data of the percentage of positive stained area are expressed as mean ± SD and analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test (n = 8). * significantly different vs. the normal control group; # significantly different vs. the meleagrin group; ^ significantly different vs. the bleomycin group. Differences were considered significant at p < 0.05.

Fig 3: Effect of STGPT (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg) on BCL-2 (A); Bax (B); BCL-2: Bax ratio (C); p53 mRNA (D); and Ki-67 mRNA (E) in mice with NDEA-induced HCC. Data are presented as the mean ± SD (n = 6). + p < 0.05 vs Control group, ++ p < 0.01 vs. Control group, +++ p < 0.001 vs. Control group, ++++ p < 0.0001 vs. Control group, *p < 0.05 vs. NDEA group, **p < 0.01 vs. NDEA group, ***p < 0.001 vs. NDEA group, ****p < 0.0001 vs. NDEA group, #### p < 0.0001 vs. STGPT 20 group, @@ p < 0.01 vs. STGPT 40 group, @@@@ p < 0.0001 vs. STGPT 40 group. Control, normal control group received the vehicle; STGPT 80, normal group received sitagliptin (80 mg/kg); NDEA, NDEA-induced HCC group received the vehicle; NDEA + STGPT 20, NDEA-induced HCC group treated with sitagliptin (20 mg/kg); NDEA + STGPT 40, NDEA-induced HCC group treated with sitagliptin (40 mg/kg); NDEA + STGPT 80, NDEA-induced HCC group treated with sitagliptin (80 mg/kg).