Figure 1
From: Cell-extrinsic consequences of epithelial stress: activation of protumorigenic tissue phenotypes
Activation of a stress response in epithelial cells reprograms adjacent fibroblasts. RM15 or RM21 human mammary fibroblasts (HMFs) were cocultured with RM78 or RM79 vHMECs for 24 hours in MEGM. vHMECs overexpressed either TRF2, hTERT, or pWP (vector control), or expressed a short hairpin for activin A (sh Activin A) or for luciferase (sh control). In all figures, error bars represent SEM, and asterisks denote statistical significance (P ≤ 0.05) compared with appropriate control. Protein levels were measured with ELISA (duplicates), and mRNA levels were measured with Q-PCR (triplicate) and compared with appropriate controls (either vector or short hairpin). The relative levels of (A) fibronectin (FN1), collagen 1A1 (Col1a1), tenascin C (TenC), (B) IL-8, IL-6, VEGF, (C) HIF1α, (D) activin A, and COX-2 mRNAs compared with either vector or short-hairpin controls for four HMF-vHMEC combinations are shown. In one instance (right side, panel A) only three HMF-vHMEC combinations were used. #, statistical significance (P ≤ 0.05) compared with sh-control for this particular sample set.