Silybin counteracts lipid excess and oxidative stress in cultured steatotic hepatic cells

Figure 1 Lipid-lowering effects of silybin in steatotic FaO cells. A: Neutral lipids were visualized in situ by ORO-staining in control (C) and steatotic FaO cells incubated in the absence (SC) or in the presence (SC + S) of the silybin at different doses (silybin 25; 50; 100 μmol/L) (magnification × 40; Bar: 10 μm). Silybin structure is also shown; B: On the same samples TG content was quantified by spectrophotometric assay; data are expressed as percent TG content relative to control and normalized for total proteins; C: LD accumulation was evaluated by NR-staining in control and steatotic FaO cells incubated in the absence or in the presence of 50 μmol/L silybin; data are expressed as percent mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) relative to control and normalized for total proteins. Values are mean ± SD from a least three independent experiments. ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test was used to assess the statistical significance between groups. Significant differences are denoted by symbols: ^aP≤0.001, ^cP≤0.01 C vs OP and ^bP≤ 0.001, ^dP≤ 0.01 OP vs silybin.