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

Figure 6 Silencing of alpha-fetoprotein increases liver injury in mice following CCl₄ administration. A: Western blot for the protein levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the liver tissues of mice; B: Serum alanine aminotransferase levels; C: Serum levels of total bilirubin; D: Liver sections stained by hematoxylin and eosin and measurements of necrotic areas in mice; E: Western blot for the relative levels of AFP, cleaved caspase-3, and phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase expression in the liver tissues; F: TUNEL analysis of hepatocyte apoptosis; G: The relative levels of phosphorylated protein kinase R-like ER kinase, activating transcription factor-6 and C/enhancer binding protein homologous protein protein in liver tissues. AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; ATF6: Activating transcription factor-6; CCl₄: Carbon tetrachloride; CHOP: C/enhancer binding protein homologous protein; H&E: Hematoxylin and eosin; p-MLKL: Phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase; p-PERK: Phosphorylated protein kinase R-like ER kinase; TBil: Total bilirubin; TUNEL: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling. ^bP < 0.01 compared with these two groups.