Figure 4. Effect of honokiol on the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in mice with carotid artery atherosclerosis. (A–C) The protein levels of p-IκBα, IκBα (A), cytoplasmic NF-κB (B), and nuclear NF-κB (C) were assessed by western blotting analysis. β-actin or histone H3 was used as a loading control for cytoplasmic or nuclear protein, respectively. (n = 6; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001, vs. the ND group. # P < 0.05, ## P < 0.01, ### P < 0.001, vs. the WD group; one-way ANOVA). (D) The DNA binding activities of NF-κB in carotid tissue from the indicated groups were detected by EMSA assay. (n = 6; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001, vs. the ND group. # P < 0.05, ## P < 0.01, ### P < 0.001, vs. the WD group; one-way ANOVA). NF-κB: nuclear factor-κB; IκBα: inhibitor of NF-κB; ND: normal diet; WD: Western diet; EMSA: electrophoretic mobility shift assay.