Fig. 3.

Baicalein attenuates fibrosis in mice suffering from bleomycin-induced SSc. Bleomycin (1 mg/mL; 100 μL/mice) was injected subcutaneously into the back of mice once daily for 4 weeks. Mice underwent oral gavage with vehicle control (0.5% carboxymethylcellulose sodium), D-penicillamine (125 mg/kg), or baicalein (BA, 25–100 mg/kg) once daily for 4 weeks. Representative images of the H&E and Masson’s-trichrome staining of the skin of mice in each group were shown. In H&E, scale bar = 100 μm (upper) and scale bar = 50 μm (lower). In Masson’s-trichrome, scale bar = 100 μm (A). Dermal thickness (n = 9), hydroxyproline content (n = 9) and inflammation score (n = 6–7) were quantified (B). C protein from lesional skins was analyzed by western blotting for COL1A1, α-SMA, TGF-β1/SMAD3 activation and ERK activation in randomly selected mice of each group. Levels of expression were measured by densitometry and expressed as normalized density (n = 3–4). Representative immunoblots for 3 mice of each group were shown. Quantitative data were the mean ± SEM. ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01 vs. NaCl-treated mice. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 vs. bleomycin (BLM)-treated mice