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Fig. 1 | Respiratory Research

Fig. 1

From: Resolution of bleomycin-induced murine pulmonary fibrosis via a splenic lymphocyte subpopulation

Fig. 1

Effect of adoptive transfer of splenocytes on bleomycin (BLM)-induced murine pulmonary fibrosis. a Outline of the experimental design used for the adoptive transfer of splenocytes. Osmotic pumps containing 200 μL saline, with or without BLM (100 mg/kg mouse body weight), were implanted subcutaneously through a small incision in the back according to the manufacturer’s instructions. BLM was infused continuously from day 0 to 6. Splenocytes (1 × 105/mouse) were injected via the tail vein either on day 7 or 14 after initiating BLM treatment. On day 28 post-BLM injection, the mice were sacrificed and their lungs were removed for analyses. Each group included at least 6 mice. b–i Increased fibrosis and collagen deposition observed in the lungs of BLM-treated mice were attenuated by the infusion of splenocytes on day 14 post-BLM treatment. Typical photomicrographs of hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson’s trichrome staining of the left lungs from saline-treated and BLM-treated mice, with or without splenocyte infusion (1 × 105 cells/mouse). Magnification × 10. j The extent of lung fibrosis was measured by quantitative histology according to Ashcroft’s method on day 28 to determine the anti-fibrotic effects of splenocytes in the lungs of BLM-treated mice. Because BLM administration with osmotic pumps causes lung fibrosis predominantly in the subpleural regions, subpleural fibrosis between the groups was compared using a numerical scale. Adoptive transfer of splenocytes on day 14 significantly attenuated the numerical score, which was increased by BLM administration. *P < 0.05. n = 6–8 mice/group. k The hydroxyproline content in the lungs was measured on day 28. Adoptive transfer of splenocytes on day 14 post-treatment significantly reduced the hydroxyproline content in the lungs when compared with the BLM treated group (*P < 0.05). n = 3 mice for the BLM group, n = 4 mice for the BLM + splenocyte on day 14 group

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