Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
06:03
Oropharyngeal Administration of Bleomycin in the Murine Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Published on: May 9, 2025
2.2K
Neuroepithelial body increases in bleomycin-treated mice
Jun Liu1, Nana Song1, Shifu Tian1
1Robley Rex VA Medical Center, Louisville, KY 40206, United States; Pulmonary Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, United States.
Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology
|January 15, 2014
Summary
Neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs) proliferate in lung diseases. This study found NEBs significantly increase in number and size during pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting a key role in lung injury repair.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Stem Cell Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs) are recognized as niches for lung stem cells.
- NEBs are known to proliferate in response to various pulmonary diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of NEBs in lung injury repair processes.
- To test the hypothesis that NEBs are important in pulmonary fibrosis pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis mouse model.
- Compared NEB counts and size in bleomycin-treated versus saline-treated mice.
- Employed whole-mount immunostaining for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) to identify NEBs.
Main Results:
- The number of NEBs per unit area of airway nearly tripled in the bleomycin-treated group compared to controls.
- NEBs exhibited a significant increase in size in mice with induced pulmonary fibrosis.
- A statistically significant difference (p=0.001) was observed in NEB density between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Neuroepithelial bodies play a significant role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.
- The proliferation and enlargement of NEBs suggest their involvement in lung injury repair mechanisms.
- Findings support NEBs as critical players in the response to fibrotic lung disease.
