Figure 8.
Expression of fibrotic mediators and EMT markers after mechanical stretch of human lung epithelial cells. BEAS-2B cells were subjected to cyclic stretch for 24 and 48h at a frequency of 30 cycles/min and 30% elongation. A. Representative mRNA expression of TGF-β and β-Catenin in BEAS-2B cells in response to mechanical stretch. Average relative densitometry of TGF-β or β-catenin over β-actin is reported in bar graphs. B. mRNA expression of the epithelial markers cytokeratin-8, E-Cadherin and SP-B, and the mesemchymal marker α-SMA and Vimentin in the BEAS-2B cell lysates after mechanical stretch. C. Protein expression of the EMT markers in lung homogenates. Data are reported as relative densitometry of the EMT markers normalized for β-actin. * p<0.05 vs non-stretch control cells (Ctrl) at identical conditions.