Fig. 4

MERTK-overexpressing macrophages exhibit profibrotic effects, and efferocytosis inhibits these profibrotic effects. A After coculturing apoptotic cells with vector- and MERTK-macrophages, the expression of MERTK and TGF-β1 in macrophages was detected by qRT-PCR (n = 3). B After coculturing apoptotic cells with vector- and MERTK-macrophages, the expression of MERTK and TGF-β in macrophages was detected by WB (n = 3). C Human lung fibroblasts (HLFs) were incubated with the conditioned medium from vector- and MERTK-macrophages, the mRNA expression of α-SMA, COL1A1, COL3A1 and fibronectin in lung fibroblasts was detected by qRT-PCR (n = 5). D HLFs were incubated with the conditioned medium from vector- and MERTK-macrophages, the protein expression of α-SMA, COL1A1, COL3A1 and fibronectin in lung fibroblasts was detected by WB (n = 3–5 samples per group). Data were presented as mean ± SEM. Two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test was used for analysis. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ****p < 0.0001; n.s., not significant. The asterisk above each bar denotes significant difference between this group and Control-Vector group, while the asterisk on the horizontal line denotes significant difference between control-MERTK group and efferocytosis-MERTK group