Figure 7

SAEC exposure to MWCNT increases the expression of cellular inflammatory signals in HMVEC. Two biological replicates of SAEC and HMVEC were grown in the apical and basolateral chambers, respectively, of a co-culture system, and SAEC was exposed to DM or 1.2 μg/ml MWCNT for 1, 6 or 24 h. HMVEC were lysed and protein levels of intracellular inflammatory signals read at an absorbance of 450 nm using a PathScan Inflammation Multi-Target Sandwich ELISA from Cell Signaling Technology. All values given are the mean ± standard error. NF-κB had a significant decrease in absorbance over time (DM, 1.152 ± 0.051; 1 h, 0.713 ± 0.048; 6 h, 0.6795 ± 0.0145; 24 h, 0.7445 ± 0.0055). Phospho-NF-κB (Ser536) (DM, 0.341 ± 0.013; 1 h, 1.0065 ± 0.0855; 6 h, 0.944 ± 0.187; 24 h, 1.068 ± 0.026) and phospho-Stat3 (Tyr705) (DM, 0.96 ± 0.107; 1 h, 1.483 ± 0.079; 6 h, 1.7265 ± 0.1895; 24 h, 1.446 ± 0.07) had significant increases in absorbance over time, while phospho-p38 (Thr180/Tyr182) (DM, 0.5245 ± 0.0185; 1 h, 0.673 ± 0.047; 6 h, 0.6645 ± 0.0255; 24 h, 0.6285 ± 0.0345) had a significant increase at 1 and 6 h.* p < 0.05. Phospho-SAPK/JNK (Thr183/Tyr185) (DM, 0.101 ± 0.011; 1 h, 0.112 ± 0.011; 6 h, 0.0905 ± 0.0025; 24 h, 0.08 ± 0.002) and phospho-IκB-α (Ser32) (DM, 0.0765 ± 0.0025; 1 h, 0.082 ± 0.013; 6 h, 0.0695 ± 0.0035; 24 h, 0.066 ± 0.002) did not have a significant increases in absorbance.