Sophie Lanone, Tao Zheng, Zhou Zhu, Wei Liu, Chun Geun Lee, Bing Ma, Qingsheng Chen, Robert J. Homer, Jingming Wang, Lesley A. Rabach, Morgan E. Rabach, J. Michael Shipley, Steven D. Shapiro, Robert M. Senior, Jack A. Elias
Effects of MMP-12 on IL-13–induced TGF-β1 bioactivity and tissue fibrosis. (a) Transgene– and transgene+ CC10-rtTA-IL-13 mice were placed on dox water for 4 weeks. BAL fluids were then obtained and the levels of bioactive (striped bars) and total (black bars) TGF-β1 were assessed using mink lung epithelial cells as described in Methods. *P < 0.05. (b) BAL fluids were obtained from 3-month-old CC10-IL-13 transgene– and transgene+ mice, and the levels of bioactive and total TGF-β1 were assessed using mink lung epithelial cells as described in Methods. (c) Trichrome stains are used to evaluate the subepithelial fibrosis in lungs from 3-month-old CC10-IL-13 transgene– and transgene+ mice with wild-type and null MMP-12 loci.