Fig 4. Inhibition of Pa-induced phosphorylation of HSP27 by p38MAPK inhibitors.

BEAS-2B cells in six well plates were pre-incubated with either DMSO (NT), SB203580 or BIRB796 at 1 μg/ml for two hours at 37°C, 5% CO₂. The cells were then stimulated with Pa at 2.5 x 10⁷ CFU/ml for two hours at 37°C, 5% CO₂, after which whole cell protein was collected and levels of phosphorylated- and total-HSP27 were measured by Western blot. (A) Representative image of the four experiments. (B) Band intensity was determined using Syngene Gene Tools software and the levels of phosphorylated-HSP27 were corrected to the levels of total-HSP27. A Friedman test with Dunn’s multiple comparison was used to compare Pa treatment alone with all other conditions. n = 4 showing median with IQR (** = p≤0.01).