Figure 7.

Effect of miR-146a on putative limbal epithelial stem cell (LESC) marker K15 expression in human organ-cultured corneas by immunostaining and in primary LECs by western blot. (A) miR-146a transfection increased whereas miR-146a inhibitor decreased staining for K15 in human organ-cultured corneas compared to their corresponding controls. The same exposure time was used for each set of compared immunostained sections, and the assessment was done by more than one observer. The pictures are representative of three independent experiments (n = 3). (B) miR-146a mimic (M) treatment increased whereas its inhibitor (I) decreased the protein level of K15 in LECs compared to the respective controls. The bar graph represents average ± SEM of pooled values (n = 4) of densitometric scans. * p < 0.05, compared with scrambled control values by paired two-tailed t test. e, epithelium; s, stroma.