Figure 3.

Effects of ACVD and MMD patients’ serum incubation on cEND barrier characteristics. (a) TER measured in MMD versus ACVD serum-stimulated cENDs over 48 h. Results were expressed as MMD-induced TER in relation to ACVD control. Gene expression (b) and protein expression (c) analysis of cell–ell contacts, claudin-5, occludin and VE-cadherin in response to MMD serum for 24 and 48 h, respectively, analyzed by qPCR and Western blot. Gene expression data were visualized as fold of the expression of respective molecules in ACVD-treated cENDs. Representative Western blot images and the respective densitometrical analysis presented in the graph. Values are means ± SEM, (n = 3 independent experiments each including five different patients’ sera per group performed in triplicates), ****p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, versus cENDs incubated in ACVD serum.