Fig. 3: STING was expressed at different stages of BAS.

a Tracheal specimens were collected from control group of mice and BAS group of mice at 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days after modeling, and representative immunofluorescence images of P-STING (green), macrophages (marked with F4/80, pink), fibroblasts (marked with aSMA, red) in mice tracheal tissues. Scale bars indicate 200 μm and 50 μm (n = 3 mice per group). b–d Tracheal tissues were collected from mice with BAS at 24 h after tracheal injury. b, c Flow cytometry plots demonstrate percentage of STING⁺ macrophages in tracheal leukocytes (CD45⁺ cells), and the results showed that the percentage was significantly higher in the BAS group compare to control group (n = 5 mice per group). d Representative tracheal immunofluorescence images of STING(green), and macrophages (marked with F4/80, red) in mice (n = 4 mice per group). Scale bars indicate 50 μm and 20 μm. Red arrows indicate STING⁺ macrophages. e–g Tracheal tissues were collected from mice with BAS at 7 d after tracheal injury. e Immunohistochemical results suggested that STING expressing in the trachea of BAS mice at the granulation stage on the 7th day (n = 3 mice per group). Scale bars indicate 200 μm and 50 μm. f Representative tracheal immunofluorescence images of STING (green), and fibroblasts (marked with aSMA, red) in mice (n = 3 mice per group). Yellow dashed line: Areas of co-expression of STING and aSMA. Scale bars indicate 200 μm and 50 μm. g Representative tracheal immunofluorescence images of STING (green), and epithelial cells (marked with E-cad,red) in mice (n = 3 mice per group). Yellow dashed line: Areas of co-expression of STING and E-cad. Scale bars indicate 200μm and 50μm. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. A two-sided student’s T-test was used in (c). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.