Fig. 4

Silica exposure increases pro-fibrotic gene expression. Analysis of gene expression in the lung of silica treated mice (panels a-f). Whole lung mRNA levels for collagen type I, alpha 1 (Col1a1), fibronectin 1 (Fn1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (Timp1), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (Mmp-2), connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were determined using real-time PCR and normalized to beta-acting expression (β-Actin). g, Changes in gene expression in the lung of bleomycin treated mice at 21 days. The results are shown as mean ± SEM, *p < 0.05 when compared to control lung, One Way ANOVA with Holm-Sidak post test