Fig 2: Effects of emodin on molecules of BSEP pathway in rat primary hepatocytes. Immunofluorescence was used to detect CK-18 protein in hepatocytes, and the red fluorescence molecule Dylight488 in primary hepatocytes was observed under a fluorescence microscope (A–C). Cytotoxicity of emodin on primary hepatocytes was determined by CCK8 assay (D). The mRNA levels of FXR and BSEP were detected by qRT-PCR (E). The protein levels of FXR1, FXR2, and BSEP were detected by Western blotting (F,G). Data are shown as the mean ± SD. n = 5. (∗P < 0.05 compared to the control group; ∗∗P < 0.01 compared to the control group).

Fig 3: Effect of emodin on the expression of FXR and BSEP in normal LO2 cells. The mRNA levels of FXR (A) and BSEP (B) were detected by RT-PCR. The protein levels of FXR1, FXR2, and BSEP were measured by Western blot (C–F). Values are the means ± SD (n = 3, ∗P < 0.05 compared to the control group; ∗∗P < 0.01 compared to the control group, as determined by Student’s t-test).

Fig 4: Effect of emodin on the SHP-BSEP signaling pathway in ANIT-treated rats. The mRNA levels of FXR and BSEP were measured by real-time PCR (A). The protein levels of FXR1, FXR2, and BSEP were detected by Western blotting (B,C). Data were expressed as the mean ± SD. n = 3. (#P < 0.01 compared to the control group, ∗∗P < 0.01 compared to the model group; p < 0.05 compared to the UDCA group; Δp < 0.05 compared to the DXM group, as determined by Student’s t-test).

Fig 5: Effect of emodin on the expression of FXR and BSEP after FXR was knocked down by siRNA. The mRNA levels of FXR and BSEP were detected by RT-PCR (A,B). The protein levels of FXR1, FXR2, and BSEP were measured by Western blot (C). Values are the means ± SD (n = 3, #P < 0.01 compared to the control group, ∗∗P < 0.01 compared to the FXR-siRNA group; P < 0.05 compared to the FXR-siRNA group; ∗p < 0.05 compared to the UDCA group; p < 0.05 compared to the DXM group, as determined by Student’s t-test).