Combinatorial treatment with the ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, and NAC restore low levels of TGFβ activation seen on epithelial maintaining substrates.

<p>RLE-6TN cells were cultured on increasing substrate stiffnesses (A) with 10 µg/cm² PM2.5 (B) with or without treatment with the antioxidant NAC and levels of TGFβ activation measured . RLE-6TN cells were treated with a combination of the Y-27632 ROCK inhibitor and NAC and TGFβ activation measured (C). Three independent triplicate experiments were performed and statistical significance is shown between substrate stiffnesses (A) and to same substrate stiffness PM controls (B,C) *** (p<0.001).