Fig. 5. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) findings of cultured ARNE cells at 14 days after confluence. SEM findings of cultured ARNE cells show smaller numbers of ciliated cells and higher numbers of secretory cells (A, original magnification ×100) (B, original magnification × 200). TEM findings of loose cell-to-cell tight junctions in nasal epithelium and increased number of columnar secretory cells containing electron-lucent secretory granules (C, original magnification ×1,000) (D, original magnification ×2,000). The mRNA levels of E-cadherin and ZO-1 were measured in ALI culture of NHNE and ARNE cells 14 days after confluence. Real-time PCR showed that both E-cadherin (E) and ZO-1 (F) mRNA level were significantly attenuated in ALI culture of ARNE cells (White dot: NHNE cells, Black dot: ARNE cells). Results are presented here as the mean±SD from eight independent ALI cultures (^*P<0.05 compared to mRNA levels in NHNE cells).