FIGURE 1.

Effects of ANP on thrombin-induced increase in EC macromolecular permeability and pool of stabilized MTs. A and B, HPAECs grown in 96-well plates (A) or on glass coverslips (B) with immobilized biotinylated gelatin (0.25 mg/ml) were pretreated with ANP (100 nm, 20 min) followed by challenge with thrombin (0.5 units/ml, 15 min) and the addition of FITC-avidin (25 μg/ml, 3 min). Unbound FITC-avidin was removed, and FITC fluorescence was measured. *, p < 0.05 versus thrombin alone. Bar, 50 μm. C, Western blot analysis of acetylated tubulin in the lysates from thrombin-challenged HPAECs with or without ANP pretreatment. Equal protein loading was confirmed by membrane reprobing for total β-tubulin. Bar graphs depict the quantitative densitometry analysis of Western blot densitometry data. *, p < 0.05 versus thrombin alone. AU, absorbance units. Error bars, S.D.