Western blots confirm up-regulated adhesion molecule expression in the lungs of transgenic sickle mice and LPS-treated normal mice (18 hours after LPS injection) compared with normal lung controls.

Lung homogenates were prepared from 3 mice in each group. Homogenate proteins, representing 1 μg lung DNA per lane, were separated by SDS-PAGE, transferred electrophoretically to PVDF membranes, and immunoblotted with either goat anti-VCAM, anti-ICAM, or anti-PECAM IgG. Sites of primary antibody binding were visualized with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated donkey antigoat IgG. The final detection of immunoreactive bands was performed using a chemofluorescent detection substrate. Protein bands corresponding to each adhesion molecule were quantified by fluorescence densitometry. The figure shows the adhesion molecule bands from one representative lung from each model and a summary bar graph. The bar graph plots the mean ± SD adhesion molecule expression for each mouse model as a percentage of normal control mice (n = 3). *P ≤ .05; **P ≤ .01; and ***P ≤ .001.