Alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) suppress expression of type 1 collagen (COL1A1), α-smooth muscle actin, fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), and fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) fibroblasts in floating submerged gels. Epithelial cells and the fibroblasts were cultured alone or together for 8 days and then processed as described for Fig. 2. Data were normalized to the level of gene expression in the fibroblast-alone cultures (100%). There were six individual experiments with different epithelial cells and fibroblasts for the comparisons of COL1A1, ACTA2, and fibronectin (FN1) and five for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), and fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10). *Significant difference in the comparison of the fibroblasts with and without the epithelial cells. P < 0.05. EpCAM, epithelial cellular adhesion molecule; FT, flow through. The panels are as follows: A: COL1A1; B: ACTA2; C: FN1; D: HGF; E: FGF7; and F: FGF10.