Fig. 4: Tks5 haploinsufficiency in mice attenuates bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF).
a Schematic presentation of the BLM-induced PF model. b. Kaplan Meyer survival curve post BLM administration. c. Weight change post BLM administration; n = 4/7/4/6. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA; **p = 0.031. d Total protein concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs), as determined with the Bradford assay; n = 4/7/4/7. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA; ****p < 0.0001, ***p = 0.0009. e Inflammatory cell numbers in BALFs, as counted with a hematocytometer; n = 4/6/4/6. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA; ****p < 0.0001, ***p = 0.0002/0.0008. f Soluble collagen levels in the BALFs were detected with the direct red assay; n = 4/6/4/7. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed Kruskal Wallis; *p = 0.0124. g, h Tks5 and Col1a1 mRNA expression was interrogated with Q-RT-PCR; n = 4/5/3/7; values were normalized over the expression of the housekeeping gene B2m and presented as fold change over control. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA; **p = 0.0012, *p = 0.0207. h Two tailed pearson correlation plot of Col1a1 expression in the same samples; *p = 0.0342; r = 0.91/0.54. i Representative images from lung sections of murine lungs of the indicated genotypes, stained with Fast Green/Sirius Red (green/red; first row), from Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E)-stained Precision cut lung slices (PCLS) (second row) and H&E-stained lung sections (third row); scale bars 50 μm. j. Quantification of fibrosis severity in H/E stained lung sections via Ashcroft scoring; n = 4/5/4/5. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA; ****p < 0.0001. k Rrs, mean respiratory system resistance as measured with Flexivent; n = 4/6/4/6. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA; ***p = 0.0008/0.0004. l Ers, mean respiratory system elastance as measured with Flexivent; n = 4/6/4/5. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA; ***p = 0.0002, **p = 0.0081. m Cst, mean static lung compliance as measured with Flexivent; n = 4/7/4/6. Statistical significance was assessed with two-tailed one-way ANOVA followed by Welch’s correction; ****p < 0.0001. In all panels cumulative results from 2 different experiments are shown; all samples are biologically independent; boxplots visualize the median of each distribution; upper/lower hinges represent 1st/3rd quartiles; whiskers extend no further than 1.5 *IQR from the respective hinge. Source data for all relative panels (a–h, j–m) are provided as a Source Data file.
