Fig 2: ES inhibited MUC4 and ZO-1 expression in primary corneal epithelial cells. Primary corneal epithelial cells were cultured on coverslips till confluency. ES was applied 30 min each day for 3 days, and immunofluorescence microscopy was performed with cultured goblet cells using antibodies against MUC4 (A) and ZO-1 (B). The panels on the left are representative images from control, while the panels on the right are representative images from cells treated with ES. Protein samples were collected from each group’s cell pellets, and Western Blot analysis was performed using antibodies against MUC4 (A) and ZO-1 (B). For MUC4, 3 lanes on the left indicate proteins extracted from control, and 3 lanes on the right indicate proteins extracted from the ES-treated cells. For ZO-1, 4 lines on the left indicate proteins extracted from control, and 4 lines on the right indicate proteins extracted from the ES-treated cells. The quantified relative abundance of MUC4 (C) and ZO-1 (D) is plotted and analyzed. * p < 0.05. ** p < 0.01. Original blots/gels are presented in Supplementary Figs. 2 and 3