Figure 4

Effect of different α- and β-adrenergic agonists and antagonists on COX-2 protein expression. Microglial cells were stimulated with LPS 10 ng/ml and different adrenergic agonists/antagonists for 4 hours, followed by western blot analysis for COX-2 protein expression (70 kDa). (A) LPS-stimulated microglial cells were treated with different α- and β-adrenoreceptor agonists at two different concentrations (1 and 10 μM): α₁-agonist phenylephrine; α₂-agonist clonidine; β₁/β₂-agonist dobutamine; β₂-agonist terbutaline. (B) LPS-stimulated microglial cells were treated with different α- and β-adrenoreceptor antagonists at two different concentrations (1 and 10 μM): α₁/α₂-antagonist nicergoline; β₁-antagonist CGP 20712A; β₂-antagonist ICI118, 551. (C) LPS-stimulated microglial cells were treated both with dobutamine or terbutaline and with the two different β-adrenoreceptor antagonists ICI 118,551 or CGP 20712A. [NE = norepinephrine].