Journal: The American Journal of Pathology
Article Title: Persistent Cytomegalovirus Infection in Amniotic Membranes of the Human Placenta
doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.07.016
Figure Lengend Snippet: A: IL-6 levels in conditioned media from mock-infected control (cont.) and VR1814-infected amniotic epithelial cells (AmEpCs) quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Similar results were obtained with four cell preparations. B: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection activates STAT3 and up-regulates anti-apoptotic proteins. Cell lysates from mock-infected control and VR1814-infected AmEpCs or ARPE-19 cells at indicated times were immunoblotted with antibodies to phospho-STAT3 (pSTAT3), STAT3, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, survivin, and actin (loading control). Results are representative of at least three independent experiments. C and D: Immunostaining of survivin (B), Bcl-xL (C), and immediate early (IE) 1 (CH443) in mock-infected control and VR1814-infected cells. Nuclei were stained with DAPI. Blue dashes delineate foci of infection. E: Effects of STAT3 inhibitors on Bcl-xL and survivin expression. Mock-infected control and VR1814-infected AmEpCs were cultured with medium alone (no treat), STAT3 inhibitors S31-201 (100 μmol/L), WP6001 (5 μmol/L), or STA21 (50 μmol/L), or the vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Cell lysates at 3 days postinfection (dpi) were immunoblotted with antibodies to Bcl-xL, survivin, and actin (loading control). Results are representative of at least four independent experiments. F: Cell lysates from mock-infected control and VR1814-infected AmEpCs from different gestational ages were immunoblotted with antibodies to Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, survivin, and actin (loading control). Scale bar = 50 μm (C and D). Original magnification, ×200 (C and D).
Article Snippet: The STAT3 inhibitors S31-201, WP1006, and STA21 were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology.
Techniques: Infection, Control, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Immunostaining, Staining, Expressing, Cell Culture