Fig. 9.

Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) results in comparable HDAC2 protein levels in CFTR+ and CFTR− cells. The level of HDAC1 and HDAC2 expression in nuclear extract was determined by Western blotting. Nucleolin was used as a loading control. Protein levels were assayed in 16HBE cells. For antioxidant treatment, cells were exposed to 5 mM NAC in serum-free medium for 2 h before isolation of nuclear extract. A: Western blot showing protein levels of HDAC1 and HDAC2. B: densitometry analysis of HDAC2 protein levels relative to nucleolin protein level. n = 3. *P < 0.004 for comparisons of CFTR+ treated with NAC with CFTR− treated with NAC. C: densitometry analysis of HDAC1 protein levels relative to nucleolin protein level. n = 3. No significant difference was found between CFTR+ cells treated with NAC and CFTR− cells treated with NAC.