Figure 4. IL-4 and IFN-α induced fibrosis via the STING pathway, and inhibition of STING reduced fibroblast fibrosis and the production of IL-4 and IFN-α from CD4⁺ T cells. (A) Skin fibroblasts stained with anti-a-SMA (green), anti-fibronectin (green), anti-pSTING (green), anti-pSTAT6 (green) and anti-pIRF3 (green) Abs. Scale bars=20 μm. Skin fibroblasts were stimulated with/without IL-4, IFN-α, and H-151 for 1 days. (B) Numbers of pSTAT6⁺ cells, pIRF3⁺ cells, (C) IL-4⁺ cells, IFN-α⁺ cells, and IL-4⁺ IFN-α⁺ cells among CD4⁺ T cells isolated from the spleens of mice. Cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 Ab, anti-CD28 Ab, anti-IFN-γ Ab, and IL-4 with/without H-151 for 3 days. Values are means ± SEMs from three independent experiments.

^*p<0.05, ^**p<0.01, and ^***p<0.001.