Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition by Modulating the IRE1α Branch of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response

Figure 2

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) ameliorated EMT in A549 cells. A549 cells were treated with 10 ng/ml TGF-β1 in the presence or absence of MSCs for 72 hr. (a) Representative phase-contrast microscopy images of A549 cells in the different groups. Scale bar, 100 μm. (b) The mRNA expression levels of E-cadherin and vimentin were measured using Q-PCR (n = 3, one-way ANOVA with Duncan’s post hoc test). (c) The protein expression levels of E-cadherin and vimentin were measured using western blotting, and the results were quantified using densitometry in ImageJ software (n = 4, one-way ANOVA with Duncan’s post hoc test). (d) A549 cells were cocultured with MSCs in the absence of TGF-β1 for different times, and the protein expression levels of E-cadherin and vimentin were measured using western blotting. The results were quantified using densitometry in ImageJ software (n = 3, one-way ANOVA with Duncan’s post hoc test). (e) Images of immunofluorescence staining of E-cadherin (green) and vimentin (red) in A549 cells in the different groups. Scale bar, 50 μm. The data are shown as the means ± SEMs (, vs. the control group; ^#, ^## vs. the TGF-β1 group).

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