Fig. 5. Effect of NEM treatment on [³H]CE and ¹²⁵I-protein association of LDL and HDL₃ in HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells were treated with 1 mM NEM for 30 minutes at 37°C. The cells were then processed as described in Fig. 3. [³H]CE association (black bars), CE selective uptake (CE association – protein association and degradation) (white bars), ¹²⁵I-protein association (hatched bars) and degradation (cross-hatched bars). Results are shown as mean percentage±s.e.m. Control values in µg protein/mg cell protein were set as 100% and were: 0.607±0.076, 0.470±0.083, 0.136±0.012, 0.0301±0.0003 for [³H]CE-LDL association (n=9), LDL-CE selective uptake, ¹²⁵I-LDL protein association (n=9) and degradation (n=6) respectively; and 0.313±0.029, 0.243±0.085, 0.070±0.003, 0.0020±0.0003 for [³H]CE-HDL₃ association (n=9), HDL₃-CE selective uptake, ¹²⁵I-HDL₃ protein association (n=9) and degradation (n=6) respectively (mean±s.e.m.). Statistically different values from the control values (without NEM) are indicated as: ^aP<0.05; ^bP<0.01 and ^cP<0.001.