Fig. 8.

Col-EGFP⁺αSMA-RFP⁻ cells isolated from lung or kidney are equally capable of inducing TGFβ activation as Col-EGFP⁺αSMA-RFP⁺ cells. A: TGFβ activation assay of WI-38 cells. TGFβ activation assay of indicated cells sorted from fibrotic lungs (B) or fibrotic kidneys (C) of Col-EGFP/αSMA-RFP mice in the presence of indicated reagents. Col-EGFP/αSMA-RFP mice were treated with bleomycin for 14 days or UUO for 7 days. Following tissue disassociation, Col-EGFP⁺αSMA-RFP⁻ cells (EGFP+) and Col-EGFP⁺αSMA-RFP⁺ cells (EGFP+/RFP+) were sorted by FACS and used in coculture TGFβ activation assays with mink lung epithelial cells stably transfected with a TGFβ-sensitive portion of the PAI-1 promoter driving firefly luciferase expression. TGFβ activation is expressed as luminescence. Data are means ± SE.