Figure 1
Categorization of radiation-induced fibrotic and non-fibrotic lung tissues in mice.
The lungs of mice that received radiation therapy as well as the lungs of non-irradiated wild type and non-irradiated miR-140 knockout mice were assessed for the development of fibrosis using Trichrome Masson’s (blue: collagen, red: muscle fibers, black/blue: nuclei) and H&E staining. Bar scale represents 50 μm. (A) Trichrome Masson’s staining shows the increased collagen deposition (blue stain, black arrows) in the irradiated lung tissues with pleural effusion (n = 4) compared to the irradiated lung tissues without pleural effusion (n = 4). (B) Trichrome Masson’s staining showed the increased collagen deposition (blue stain, black arrows) in the lungs of non-irradiated miR-140 knockout mice compared to non-irradiated wild type mice. (C) H&E staining demonstrates that the irradiated lungs that have pleural effusion and increased collagen deposition are showing the morphological changes consistent with fibrotic tissues. The fibrotic lungs had thickened alveolar and bronchiolar vessels and more alveolar macrophages (asterisk) and thicker layer of airway smooth muscle. (D) H&E staining shows the morphological differences between non-irradiated lungs of wild type and miR-140 knockout mice. MiR-140 knockout tissue has thickened alveolar walls.
