Figure 2. AAV9-Tert treatment leads to lower collagen deposition, less inflammation and decreased active fibrotic foci.

(A) Representative images of picosirius red staining visualized by polarized light where collagen fibers are bright orange from mice treated either with AAV9-Tert or empty vector 8 weeks post-viral treatment. (B) Percent of lung area filled with collagen fibers 8 weeks post-viral treatment. (C) Quantification of specific collagen peptides containing hydroxyproline in healthy lungs without bleomycin and in fibrotic lungs 5 weeks after bleomycin insult (left panel) and in lungs treated either with Tert or empty vector at 8 weeks post-treatment (right panel). (D–E) Quantification of total procollagen levels (D) and representative Western Blot images (E) in lung samples of AVV9-Tert and AVV9-empty infected lungs at 3 and 8 weeks post-viral treatment. (F) Representative images of immunofluorescence for αSMA (in red) and DAPI (in blue) at 8 weeks post-viral treatment. (G) Quantification of αSMA positive cells at 8 weeks post-treatment. (H) Representative images of F4/80 (macrophage specific marker) immunohistochemistry staining in AAV9-Empty and AAV9-Tert treated mice at 8 weeks post-viral treatment. (I) Quantification of F4/80 positive cells at 8 weeks post-viral treatment. (J–K) Quantification of the indicated cytokines in lung samples of AVV9-Tert and AVV9-empty infected lungs at 3 (J) and 8 (K) weeks post-viral treatment. Data represent the mean ±SE of analyzed mice within each group. The number of mice analyzed per group is indicated. T-test was used for statistical analysis. *p=0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001.