Figure 3.- Gene expression and cellular sources of glucocorticoids and their converting enzymes in late TB (day 120). A) Representative micrographs of immunohistochemical detection of corticosterone in the epithelium of the lung airways and the alveolar epithelium. Occasional bronchial epithelial cells show slight positivity in the control mouse (CT), while in T2D mouse numerous bronchial cells are strongly positive. Bronchial epithelium is negative in TB, and T2D-TB; while in the pneumonic areas numerous macrophages show intense positivity. B) Top panel show the comparative gene expression of 11-βHSD1 determined by qPCR in the different experimental groups at day 120. T2D, TB, and T2D-TB groups show a significant increase in comparison with the control group. Bottom panel show immunohistochemical detection of 11-βHSD1, foamy vacuolated macrophages (inset) in pneumonic areas from TB and T2D-TB show strong immunostaining. C) Representative micrographs of immunohistochemistry detection of cortisone in bronchial epithelial cells and alveoli. Alveolar epithelium show positive immunostaining in the control mouse, while bronchial cells are negative in all the conditions. TB mouse show strong immunostaining in alveolar epithelium and in occasional inflammatory cells, while T2D and T2D/TB are negative. D) Comparative gene expression of 11-βHSD2 and its representative immunohistochemistry detection. Asterisks represent statistical significance (**** p< 0.0001, two- way ANOVA and n.s. no significance).