Effect of A549 cells in the bottom chamber on septic trans-PMVEC hyper-permeability.

<p>(A) PMVEC monolayers on the apical aspect of inserts were co-cultured with A549 cells on the under-surface of the insert membrane, forming a bilayer. (B) PMVEC were stimulated with cytomix (10 ng/mL) or LPS (1 µg/mL) for 8-hours to assess the effects of the presence (filled bars) or absence (open bars) of adjacent A549 cells on trans-PMVEC EB-albumin leak. (C) PMVEC on inserts were also co-cultured with A549 cells on the bottom surface of the lower chamber, at 1 mm distance from the insert membrane. (D) The effects of the presence (filled bars) or absence (open bars) of remote A549 cells on trans-PMVEC EB-albumin leak following cytomix (1 or 10 ng/mL) or LPS (1 µg/mL) stimulation for 8-hours were assessed. P<0.001 by ANOVA. *: P<0.05 or **: <i>P</i><0.01 vs. respective PBS; #: <i>P</i><0.05 for the presence of A549 cell vs. PMVEC alone.