Fig. 1

Effects of dexamethasone on human neonates’ bile acid level and placental bile acid transporters’ expression. Total bile acid (TBA) levels in neonatal serum from controls and prenatal dexamethasone-treated pregnant women (a). Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the protein localization and expression of organic anion transporter polypeptide-related protein 2B1 (OATP2B1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), and multidrug resistance-associated proteins 4 (MRP4) in paraffin-embedded male neonatal placenta tissue sections (5 μm) (b, c). Images were taken at × 400 magnification. Scale bars 50 μm. n = 5 placentas per group and three random areas in each section were scored. The protein expression of OATP2B1, BCRP, and MRP4 in male neonatal placentas (d, e) were measured by western blotting. Data are presented as mean ± SD. *P < 0.05 vs. control. **P < 0.01 vs. control. Dex, dexamethasone