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. 2021 Jan 4;131(1):e139481. doi: 10.1172/JCI139481

Figure 9. Neutrophil elastase downregulates TGF-β signaling and reduces elastin expression in saccular-stage lung fibroblasts.

Figure 9

(A and B) P5 mouse lung fibroblasts were transfected with a Smad LUC reporter (SBE4-LUC) and treated with or without HNE (1 μg/mL) and/or recombinant TGF-β1 (0.1 ng/mL) for 12 hours. Luminescence measurements are reported as relative light units (RLU) above background (untransfected control) in (A) control cells and (B) TGF-β1–treated cells. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 4 per group. *P < 0.05 by 2-tailed Student’s t test. (C–E) Mouse lung fibroblasts were cultured with or without HNE (1 μg/mL) and TGF-β1(0.1 ng/mL) for 24 hours. (C) mRNA expression of Ctgf, Serpine1, and Thbs1 in fibroblasts treated with or without HNE. Data are from 3 independent experiments and expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 7 per group. *P < 0.05 by 2-tailed Student’s t test. (D and E) mRNA expression of Eln (D) and Fbln5 (E) in saccular-stage fibroblasts treated with HNE ± recombinant TGF-β1. Data are from 3 independent experiments and expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 6–8 per group, *P < 0.05 compared with control by 1-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test.