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Fig. 2 | BMC Pulmonary Medicine

Fig. 2

From: Ligustrazin increases lung cell autophagy and ameliorates paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR and hedgehog signalling via increasing miR-193a expression

Fig. 2

Overexpressing miR-193a effects on PQ-induced autophagy and pulmonary fibrosis. An active miR-193a expression construct was transferred to the mice by the intravenous tail administration of 1 × 109 pfu AdCMV-miR-193a at 14 d after intraperitoneal PQ administration. a, b Representative images of Masson’s trichrome and H&E stained lung sections from the three experimental groups (magnification: 400×). c Autophagosome formation was detected in lung tissues (magnification: 15,000×). d-e Statistical analysis of the pulmonary fibrosis score and levels of hydroxyproline. f Six fields were selected randomly in each slice of lung and autophagosomes were calculated as the average positive rate. (Original magnification, 15,000×). g, h Representative statistical analysis of TGF-β1and Collagen I mRNA by qRT-PCR. i, j-l Representative graphs and statistical analyses of TGF-β1, α-SMA and Collagen I levels by western blot. n Representative statistical analysis of miR-193a by qRT-PCR. m, o-r Representative graphs and statistical analyses of Akt, mTOR, p-Akt, p-mTOR, Beclin1 and LC3-II levels by western blot. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD of three replicates. #p < 0.05 vs. the model group; *p < 0.05 vs. controls

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