Fig. 6.

Effect of KGF administration on the expression of tight junction proteins in alveolar epithelial cells. Freshly isolated AT2 cells were cultured on permeable supports for 5 days in control media or media supplemented with KGF and then harvested and resolved by SDS-PAGE. Levels of claudin-3, -4, -5, -7, -12, -15, -18, zonula occludens (ZO)-1, and occludin were determined by immunoblot. Immunoblots were also labeled for β-tubulin to normalize for total sample protein content. Densitometry revealed no significant differences in expression levels of these tight junction proteins in KGF-treated cells compared with control (n = 3 biological replicates). Data are expressed as means ± SE.