Figure 3

Effects of BLM on lung α-SMA protein levels, ECM deposition and βgal staining. Panel A: βgal and Masson's trichrome-staining in sections of lung tissue shows βgal staining to wholemount left lung lobes of the PBS-treated (a) and the BLM-treated mice (b) (a, b 10× magnification). In moderate bronchi, thickened bronchial wall with homogeneous βgal stained fusiform cells was observed in the BLM-treated lungs (d), and not in the PBS-treated mouse (c), Arrowheads indicate that a few cells in alveolar wall were positively stained (d). In pulmonary bronchioles and vessels, BLM treated lung demonstrated enhanced βgal expression (f, h), compared with that of PBS treated lung (e, g). βgal stained venous wall was thickened (arrowhead in f) and the positively stained cells infiltrated outwards (arrowhead in h). In the Masson's trichrome-stained lung sections (i, j), extensive collagen staining (Blue color) was seen in BLM treated lung (arrowheads in j), but not in the control with PBS (i). (c-j 400× magnification). Panel B: Western blot analysis of protein extracts from lower right lobes of the BLM treated mice (2) and control mice (1).