Fig. 2: YAP1 knockout in AT2 cells exacerbates BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
a Method used to generate YAP1-cKO mice. YAP1fl/fl mice were hybridized with Sftpc-CreERT2 mice. b Schematic diagram demonstrating the deletion of YAP1 in BLM-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis models. c Western blot analysis of YAP1 expression in the lungs of YAP1-cKO mice; n = 6. d Representative images showing YAP1 (red), Sftpc (green), and nuclei (blue) in lung sections from WT and YAP1-cKO mice. Scale bars, 10 μm. e Pulmonary function parameters such as Cst (static compliance) and IC (inspiratory capacity) in the different groups, n = 4. f Micro-CT images showing the axial plane (upper panels) and corresponding coronal plane (middle panels) in the various groups. The bottom panels show images of three-dimensional reconstructions of lung tissues based on the density, n = 3. g Western blot analysis of the expression of Fn1 and α-SMA in lung homogenates from BLM-induced WT and YAP1-cKO mice; n = 6. h qRT‒PCR analysis of the mRNA expression of Fn1, Collagen 1α1, Collagen 3α1 and ACTA2 in WT and YAP1-cKO mice treated with saline or BLM; n = 6. i, j Masson’s trichrome staining and immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded lung sections from WT or YAP1-cKO mice treated with saline or BLM; n = 5. Scale bars, 50 μm. k Hydroxyproline content in WT and YAP1-cKO mice treated with saline or BLM; n = 6. The data are presented as the means ± SEMs. *P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01.
