Figure 2.

The effect of LiCl on TGF-β ₁-stimulated FMT in non-asthmatic and asthmatic HBFs. HBFs from NA (n = 11) and AS (n = 10) groups were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 0.1% BSA and TGF-β ₁ (5 ng/mL), LiCl (10 mM), or TGF-β ₁/LiCl (A, B). (A) Representative images of HBF from NA and AS culture: Nomarski interference contrast microscopic images (a–d), immunofluorescent staining of α-SMA (e–h), and Hoechst staining of cell nuclei (i–l). Bar = 50 μm. (B) Graphs showing the percentage of myofibroblasts after 7-day culture of HBFs. Each point represents a single HBF culture derived from NA and AS groups (the means of at least three separate experiments for each culture are presented, in the one experimental point at least 100 cells were counted; only HBFs with α-SMA incorporated into stress fibres were considered as α-SMA positive, i.e, myofibroblasts). Bars on graphs represent mean values. The significance of differences between TGF-β ₁-stimulated HBFs without LiCl and with LiCl was determined by applying Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric ANOVA, *P < 0.05.