Fig. 2

Changes in lung and skin morphology, dermal thickness, total lung collagen, and lung mechanics following the immunization with Col V in C57BL/6 mice and human SSc. C57BL/6 mice model was established by injection of Col V, as indicated as IMU-COLV, had similar changes to the traditional human SSc (a, b). The lung tissues were stained with H&E (a) and skin with Masson’s trichrome staining (b). Two independent individuals measured dermal thickness with Image Pro-Plus. Dermal thickness was shown to be significantly increased in Col V-immunized mice whereas control mice did not show an increase in dermal thickness (c). Lung total collagen content was measured with 4-hydroxyproline assay. Mice receiving Col V exhibited increased collagen content in the lung compared with control (d). Lung mechanics in mice immunized with Col V showed increased tissue elastance and resistance compared to control (e). Values are the means ± s.e (n = 38). P < 0.05