Fig. 4.

Opposing effects of TCDD and EGF on differentiation of NHEKs. (A) NHEKs were grown to confluence, and basal medium, or medium with α-naphthoflavone (NF, 1 μM) was added 24 h before treatment. CEs were isolated after treatment with either 0.1% DMSO or TCDD (10 nM) for 5 days. (B) NHEKs were grown to confluence, and basal medium with or without EGF (10 ng/mL) was added 24 h before treatment. CEs were isolated after treatment with either 0.1% DMSO or TCDD (10 nM) for 5 days. (C) NHEKs were grown to confluence, and basal medium, or medium with EGF (10 ng/mL), was added 24 h before treatment. CEs were isolated after treatment with either 0.1% DMSO or TCDD (10 nM) in the presence or absence of PD153035 (300 nM) for 5 days. (A–C) The values for CEs are a mean of triplicate samples ± SD. (D–G) NHEKs were grown to a cell density of either 50% or 100% confluence before basal medium, or medium with EGF (10 ng/mL), was added for 24 h before treatment. Total mRNA was isolated after treatment with either control vehicle (0.1% DMSO) or TCDD (10 nM) for 24 h. Real-time PCR was used to determine the relative expression of each indicated gene (y axis). Levels of mRNA [mean (n = 3) ± SD] are expressed in units relative to the minimum, given a value of 1. (A–G) The a indicates that the value from treatment with TCDD is significantly different from the DMSO control; the b indicates that the value from cotreatment with TCDD and NF is significantly different from TCDD alone; the c indicates that the value from cotreatment with TCDD and EGF is significantly different from with TCDD alone; the d indicates that the value from treatment with TCDD, EGF, and PD153035 is significantly different from treatment with TCDD and EGF; and the e indicates that treatment with EGF is significantly different from DMSO control treatment. For each of these comparisons, P ≤ 0.01 by Student's t test. Comparisons made in D–G are within the group grown to a cell density of 100% confluence.