Figure 6.

MSCs increased protein expression levels of p-AKT and p-mTOR in AT-II cells. Protein expression of (A) p-AKT and AKT, and (B) p-mTOR and mTOR were analyzed by western blotting subsequent to treatment of AT-II cells with phosphate-buffered saline, MSCs, MSC-KGF siRNA or MSC-Lipof. Experiments were run three times and protein levels were normalized to β-actin expression. Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation. ^**P<0.01 vs. the PBS group; ^††P<0.01 vs. the MSC group. MSCs, mesenchymal stem cells; p-, phosphorylated; AKT, protein kinase B; mTOR, mechanistic target of rapamycin; AT-II cell, alveolar type II epithelial cell; KGF, keratinocyte growth factor; siRNA, small interfering RNA; Lipof, lipofectamine.