Effect of lactose-functionalized dendrimers on untreated (blue bars) and galectin-3-induced (green bars) homotypic aggregates of A549 cells. In the assays without added galectin-3, ■ represents a statistical significance with respect to untreated cells. In the assays with added galectin-3, * identifies statistical significance with respect untreated cells, ● represents statistical significance with respect to the galectin-3 standard. One symbol represents p < 0.05, two symbols represent p < 0.01, and three symbols represent p < 0.001. No dendrimer was added to “Untreated Cells” or to the “0” entries on the x-axis. A) Compound 1 inhibits galectin-3 aggregation but has no effect on cells without added galectin-3. B) and C) Dendrimers 2 and 3 have little effect on cellular aggregation. D) Aggregation results from the incubation of untreated cells with 4. E) Micrograph of free cells. F) Micrograph of cells in the presence of galectin-3 and 60 µm
1. G) Micrographs of galectin-3-induced cellular aggregates.