Expression of IL-6 and hepatic inflammatory markers in wild-type (WT), Hfe^−/−, Tfr2^−/−, and Hfe^−/−/Tfr2^−/− mice treated with LPS. Real-time PCR was used to quantitate 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). In the spleen, IL-6 mRNA transcripts levels were measured relative to Hprt (A). An ELISA was used to determine IL-6 concentrations in the serum of all mice (B). In the liver, Orm (C) and Saa (D) mRNA transcript levels were measured relative to β-actin. Data are shown as the means; 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).