Figure 3.

Internalized LPS-treated AECs promote AM activation. (A) PKH-67 labelled AEC exosomes were cocultured with recipient AMs for 12 h. Relative fluorescence intensity was quantified to identify the internalization of exosomes. Scale bar, 30μm. (B) Proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the supernatant of the AMs treated with AEC exosomes for 12 h. (C, D) Representative western blot and quantitative analysis of p-p65 and p65 in recipient AMs treated with AEC-derived exosomes with or without LPS stimulation. (E) Representative images of the nuclear translocation of p65, as observed by immunofluorescence assays. Immunofluorescence staining of p65 (red) and nuclei (blue) at 12 h following AMs were treated with LPS-Exos or Ctrl-Exos. Scale bar, 5 μm. Data are presented as the mean ± S.E.M. **P<0.01, ***P<0.001 compared between two groups. NS, no significant difference. n=3 per group.