Fig. 3

Antifibrotic effect of SF-MSCs in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. A At 4 days after BLM OA, SF-MSCs were injected via the tail vein at a dose of 1 × 10⁴, 1 × 10⁵, or 5 × 10⁵ cells in 100 µL of PBS. Mice in the without-BLM group were aspirated with 100 µL of PBS alone instead of BLM and were injected with 100 µL of PBS intravenously. At 14 days after BLM OA, the hydroxyproline levels in the murine left lung were measured (n = 5 per group). B The hydroxyproline levels in the murine left lung before or at 7 or 14 days after BLM OA (i.e., at 3 or 10 days after intravenous MSC administration) (n = 8–12 per group). C Histological analyses using hematoxylin and eosin staining in lung sections obtained before or at 14 days after BLM OA. D Inflammatory cells in BALF were measured before or at 7 or 14 days after BLM OA (n = 5 per group). E Cytokine levels in BALF before or at 7 or 14 days after BLM OA (n = 5–10 per group). F Cytokine levels in the serum before or at 4, 7, 14, or 21 days after BLM OA (n = 3–7 per group). Data are presented as the mean ± SD for normal distribution, or as the median with interquartile range for non-normal distribution. *P < 0.05. **P < 0.01. ****P < 0.001