Figure 2.

Exogenous galectin‐3 amplifies the response to interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β). (a) Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrating the presence of IL‐1 receptor 1 (IL1R1) (green) in healthy human corneal epithelial tissue. Nuclei were counterstained using DAPI (blue). Scale bar, 100 μm. (b and c) Stratified cultures of human corneal keratinocytes were incubated with IL‐1β (10 ng/ml) or recombinant human galectin‐3 (100 μg/ml) alone or in combination for 6 and 24 hr at 37°. Levels of IL‐8 and IL‐6 in the cell culture media, and IL1R1 in cell lysates, were determined by immunoblot. NT, non‐treated. Results in (b) and (c) represent six independent experiments. The box and whisker plots show the 25th and 75th centiles (box), the median and the minimum and maximum data values (whiskers). Significance was determined using repeated measures one‐way analysis of variance with Dunnett's post hoc multiple comparison test. *P < 0·05, **P < 0·01; ns, non‐significant. [Colour figure can be viewed at http://wileyonlinelibrary.com]