A Profibrotic Phenotype in Naïve and in Fibrotic Lung Myofibroblasts Is Governed by Modulations in Thy-1 Expression and Activation

Figure 6

Thy1 expression is not involved in the regulation of fibroblast apoptosis. (a) Western blots determining the extent of pro-caspase 3 cleavage (apoptosis) in Thy1⁺ or Thy1⁻ sorted fibroblasts from the lungs of bleomycin-treated mice and in a lung fibroblast cell line (Mlg) transfected with a Thy1.2 expression vector or plasmid-containing Thy1 cDNA in antisense orientation and in murine primary lung myofibroblasts transfected with Thy1 siRNA or control siRNA. (b) Western blot of pro-caspase 3 cleavage. (c) DNA ladder in lung fibroblast primary cultures following stimulation with G7 anti-Thy1 mAb (5 μg/ml) or IgG isotype match control for 24–72 h.

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