Intracellular alpha-fetoprotein mitigates hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress

Figure 4 Activating transcription factor-6 silencing inhibits the expression of alpha-fetoprotein induced by thapsigargin invitro. LO2 cells were transfected with control shRNA, protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)-shRNA, or activating transcription factor-6 (ATF6)-shRNA for 48 h, and treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (control) or thapsigargin for 24 h. A: Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) analysis of cell viability; B: Western blot analysis of p-PERK, phosphorylated eukaryotic translational initiation factor 2 alpha, and alpha-fetoprotein expression; C: CCK-8 analysis of cell viability; D: Western blot analysis of the relative levels of ATF6 and AFP protein expression. AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; ATF6: Activating transcription factor-6; CCK-8: Cell counting kit-8; DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide; p-eIF2α: Phosphorylated eukaryotic translational initiation factor 2 alpha; p-PERK: Phosphorylated protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase; TG: Thapsigargin. ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, compared with these two groups.