Fig. 3: The ablation of GSDMD ameliorates BLM-induced skin fibrosis.

GSDMD KO and WT mice received subcutaneous injections of saline or BLM every other day for 4 weeks, and lesional skin was collected and analyzed. A, B Representative images with HE and Masson staining of GSDMD WT and KO treated with Saline (n = 6, n = 3) or BLM (n = 7, n = 6). Black arrows represent the distance measurement. Scale bar: 100 μm. C–E Quantitation of dermal thickness, collagen thickness, and hydroxyproline content demonstrating decreased dermal thickness in GSDMD KO mice injected with BLM compared with WT mice, results are mean ± SEM, *P < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001 (analyzed by t-test). F, G myofibroblasts staining by anti-α-SMA antibody in per high power field, results are mean ± SEM, ****P < 0.001 (analyzed by t-test). H RT-qPCR analysis in the skin lesions from WT and GSDMD KO mice treated with BLM for 4 weeks, results were normalized against GAPDH, the bar were mean ± SEM, *P < 0.05 (analyzed by t-test).