Fig. 4

a Protein stains (panel A), activity stains (panel B), and free thiol-labeling stains (panel C). The lane 1 and lane 2, respectively, were native and reduced SPTIs; the lane 3 and lane 4, respectively, were native and reduced soybean TIs, and b effects of the native and reduced forms of SPTIs and soybean TIs on LDL and oxLDL binding capacities evaluated by the protein stains in the native PAGE gel with two layers of separation gels, and the selected square frame was quantified by a Syngene G:bBOX imaging system (Syngene, UK). Each of LDL, oxLDL, SPTIs, reduced SPTIs, soybean TIs, and reduced soybean TIs were 10 μg in the mixture. The lanes 1 to 5, respectively, were LDL only, LDL/SPTIs, LDL/reduced SPTIs, LDL/soybean TIs, and LDL/reduced soybean TIs. The lanes 6 to 10, respectively, were oxLDL only, oxLDL/SPTIs, oxLDL/reduced SPTIs, oxLDL/soybean TIs, and oxLDL/reduced soybean TIs. Data were expressed as mean ± SD. The student’s t-test was used for two group comparisons of binding capacities between LDL and (LDL + native or reduced forms of SPTIs or soybean TIs), or oxLDL and (oxLDL + native or reduced forms of SPTIs or soybean TIs). A difference was considered statistically significant when P < 0.05 (*) or P < 0.01 (**) or P < 0.001 (***)