Hepatic hepcidin (Hamp1) mRNA expression in wild-type (WT), Hfe^−/−, Tfr2^−/−, and Hfe^−/−/Tfr2^−/− mice treated with LPS. Real-time PCR was used to quantitate hepatic Hamp1 mRNA transcript levels in 5-week-old male WT, Hfe^−/−, Tfr2^−/−, and Hfe^−/−/Tfr2^−/− mice injected with saline (white bars) or LPS (black bars) for 6 hours (n = 3-4 per group). (A) Hamp1 mRNA transcript levels are shown normalized to β-actin. (B) Hamp1 mRNA transcript levels normalized to β-actin are shown relative to iron stores as a ratio to HIC. Data are shown as the mean; error bars indicate SEM. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Student t test. Significant differences (P < .05) are denoted between control and LPS treatments (*) and between strains compared with WT (a), with Hfe^−/− (b), and with Tfr2^−/− (c).