Fig. 5.

Alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) cultured under air-liquid interface conditions do not suppress fibroblast (FB) expression of type 1 collagen (COL1A1), α-smooth muscle actin (ACTA2), fibronectin (FN1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), or fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10). The epithelial cells and the fibroblasts were cultured alone or together for 8 days under air-liquid conditions. The type II cells were cultured on top of a gel on a culture insert under air-liquid interface conditions alone or with fibroblasts. The fibroblasts were cultured in the gel either alone or with the epithelial cells. The nonadherent cells were washed away on day 2 and then the cultures were kept under air-liquid conditions until harvest on day 8. The mRNA levels were normalized to the expression level of GAPDH and then compared with the levels to the fibroblasts alone on day 8. Results are from four independent experiments for most comparisons and three independent experiments for FGF10. 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.