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Fig. 5 | Respiratory Research

Fig. 5

From: Oxidative stress mediates the apoptosis and epigenetic modification of the Bcl-2 promoter via DNMT1 in a cigarette smoke-induced emphysema model

Fig. 5

CS-induced oxidative stress is involved in emphysema, apoptosis, and lung function damage. a HE staining of lungs from the control, CS exposure and CS exposure with Vit E treatment groups (400×). b ROS levels in the lungs from the three groups. The CS exposure group had higher lung tissue ROS levels (RFU) than the control group (12.86 ± 3.12 vs. 4.00 ± 1.45, P < 0.01 by one-way ANOVA and LSD test). However, the CS exposure with Vit E feeding group showed a ROS level (RFU) similar to that of the control group (P = 0.07 by one-way ANOVA and LSD test). This indicates that antioxidant feeding could reverse the ROS level increase in CS exposed mice. c, d MLI and DI were calculated in the three groups. Compared to the control group, the CS exposure group had an increased MLI (μm) and DI (%) (41.58 ± 2.73 vs. 64.07 ± 3.12, P < 0.01 by one-way ANOVA and LSD test; 20.25 ± 2.39 vs. 58.21 ± 6.52, P < 0.01 by Kruskal-Wallis test). This demonstrates that the mice exhibited CS-induced emphysematous changes. In contrast, the CS exposure with Vit E treatment group showed MLI and DI values similar to those of the control group (P = 0.93 by one-way ANOVA and LSD test, P = 0.32 by Kruskal-Wallis test, respectively). e TUNEL staining in lung samples from the three groups (400×). → the TUNEL-positive nuclei. f AI was calculated in the three groups. Compared to the control group, the CS exposure group had an elevated AI (%) (3.65 ± 1.87 vs.43.90 ± 6.10, P < 0.01 by Kruskal-Wallis test). The CS plus Vit E group had an AI similar to that of the control group (P = 0.82 by Kruskal-Wallis test), (g), (h), (i) TV, Cdyn and RI in the three groups. The mice with CS exposure had a lower TV (μL) than the control mice (82.70 ± 6.93 vs. 105.50 ± 9.96, P < 0.01 by one-way ANOVA and LSD test). The CS exposure group also had worse Cdyn (mL/cm H2O) and RI (mL/cm H2O) values than the control mice (84.70 ± 3.65 vs. 151.6 ± 5.97 and 143.40 ± 6.24 vs. 49.6 ± 5.32, respectively, P < 0.01 by one-way ANOVA and LSD test). However, the CS plus Vit E treatment group exhibited similar TV, Cdyn and RI values as the control group (P = 0.63, P = 0.90 and P = 0.18 by one-way ANOVA and LSD test, respectively). These results reveal that antioxidant treatment alleviates the pulmonary morphological and functional damage caused by CS. *P < 0.05 vs. the control group. Data in the figure represent the mean ± SD

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