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. 2017 Mar 31;7:45666. doi: 10.1038/srep45666

Figure 5. Air pollution PM exposure induces airway epithelia epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Figure 5

(A) Photomicrographs showing small airways immunostained for E-cadherin. The airway epithelia in the rats exposed to air pollution PM showed a decrease in E-cadherin immunostaining (BMF and MVE group) compared to the controls after 7 months of exposure (n = 8). (B,C) Immunofluorescent staining showed positive staining of mesenchymal markers (vimentin and FSP1) was significantly increased in the small airway and could be observed in small airway epithelia of the rats exposed to BMF or MVE for 7 months (n = 8). (D,E) Photomicrographs showing the small number of cells that were double-immunostained for E-cadherin and Vimentin or FSP1 in the airway epithelia of the rats exposed to BMF or MVE for 7 months (n = 8). The white arrows show positively immunostained cells. (F) ELISA results showed a significant increase in the concentration of TGF-β1 in serum from the BMF- and MVE-exposed rats after 7 months of exposure (n = 8). The concentration of TGF-β1 in the MVE-exposed rats was significantly higher than that in the BMF-exposed rats. Data are shown as the mean ± SEM (B, C, F) *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. Original magnification, x400 (A,D,E) and x200 (B,C).