Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were purchased from Hubei University of Medicine (Shiyan, China). The SiO2-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis model was performed. In brief, each group of mice was anesthetized with 1% pentobarbital sodium intraperitoneally at 40 mg/kg body weight and their tracheae had been surgically exposed. In addition, SiO2 suspension (20 mg in 50 ul saline) was instilled in the mice. The vehicle control groups were given an equivalent amount of 0.9% sterile saline. After one week of acclimation, mice were divided randomly into four groups (n = 8 per group). Control group, SiO2 group, SiO2 and low dose of DHQ group (DHQ-L, 10 mg/kg) as well as large dose of DHQ group (DHQ-H, 50 mg/kg).

Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were purchased from Hubei University of Medicine (Shiyan, China). The SiO2-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis model was performed. In brief, each group of mice was anesthetized with 1% pentobarbital sodium intraperitoneally at 40 mg/kg body weight and their tracheae had been surgically exposed. In addition, SiO2 suspension (20 mg in 50 ul saline) was instilled in the mice. The vehicle control groups were given an equivalent amount of 0.9% sterile saline. After one week of acclimation, mice were divided randomly into four groups (n = 8 per group). Control group, SiO2 group, SiO2 and low dose of DHQ group (DHQ-L, 10 mg/kg) as well as large dose of DHQ group (DHQ-H, 50 mg/kg).

C57BL/6 J mice (8-week old) from SLAC Laboratory Animal Co. LTD (Shanghai, China) were housed in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) barrier system at 20 with 12-h light/dark cycles. They were randomly grouped as follows: (1) intratracheal saline (control group); (2) intraperitoneal deferoxamine (DFO, Sigma-Aldrich; DFO group); (3) intratracheal bleomycin (BLM, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.; BLM group); and (4) intratracheal BLM plus intraperitoneal deferoxamine (BLM + DFO group). They were intratracheally injected with 50 ul of BLM (5 mg/kg) on day 0. For the preventive anti-fibrotic treatment, DFO (50 mg/kg2 day-1) was administered from day 0 to day 20. Lung samples were collected at day 21.

C57BL/6 J mice (8-week old) from SLAC Laboratory Animal Co. LTD (Shanghai, China) were housed in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) barrier system at 20 with 12-h light/dark cycles. They were randomly grouped as follows: (1) intratracheal saline (control group); (2) intraperitoneal deferoxamine (DFO, Sigma-Aldrich; DFO group); (3) intratracheal bleomycin (BLM, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.; BLM group); and (4) intratracheal BLM plus intraperitoneal deferoxamine (BLM + DFO group). They were intratracheally injected with 50 ul of BLM (5 mg/kg) on day 0. For the preventive anti-fibrotic treatment, DFO (50 mg/kg2 day-1) was administered from day 0 to day 20. Lung samples were collected at day 21.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-220 g) were purchased from Weitonglihua Company (Beijing, China) and maintained in a pathogen-free facility. After one week of adaptive feeding, a total of 30 rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10 rats/group): a control group; bleomycin (BLM) group; and BLM + sh-ZFAS1 group. Rats in the BLM group were administered 5 mg/kg BLM (Nippon Kayaku, Japan) dissolved in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and administered to the rats intratracheally to establish the PF model. Rats in the control group were treated with 0.05 mL PBS. Rats in the BLM + sh-ZFAS1 group were injected intraperitoneally with 30 uL lncRNA ZFAS1 shRNA adeno-associated virus 5 (Vigene Biosciences, USA) for 3 weeks prior to an injection of 5 mg/kg BLM sulfate.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-220 g) were purchased from Weitonglihua Company (Beijing, China) and maintained in a pathogen-free facility. After one week of adaptive feeding, a total of 30 rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10 rats/group): a control group; bleomycin (BLM) group; and BLM + sh-ZFAS1 group. Rats in the BLM group were administered 5 mg/kg BLM (Nippon Kayaku, Japan) dissolved in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and administered to the rats intratracheally to establish the PF model. Rats in the control group were treated with 0.05 mL PBS. Rats in the BLM + sh-ZFAS1 group were injected intraperitoneally with 30 uL lncRNA ZFAS1 shRNA adeno-associated virus 5 (Vigene Biosciences, USA) for 3 weeks prior to an injection of 5 mg/kg BLM sulfate.

C57BL/6 J mice (8-week old) from SLAC Laboratory Animal Co. LTD (Shanghai, China) were housed in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) barrier system at 20 with 12-h light/dark cycles. They were randomly grouped as follows: (1) intratracheal saline (control group); (2) intraperitoneal deferoxamine (DFO, Sigma-Aldrich; DFO group); (3) intratracheal bleomycin (BLM, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.; BLM group); and (4) intratracheal BLM plus intraperitoneal deferoxamine (BLM + DFO group). They were intratracheally injected with 50 ul of BLM (5 mg/kg) on day 0. For the preventive anti-fibrotic treatment, DFO (50 mg/kg2 day-1) was administered from day 0 to day 20. Lung samples were collected at day 21.

C57BL/6 J mice (8-week old) from SLAC Laboratory Animal Co. LTD (Shanghai, China) were housed in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) barrier system at 20 with 12-h light/dark cycles. They were randomly grouped as follows: (1) intratracheal saline (control group); (2) intraperitoneal deferoxamine (DFO, Sigma-Aldrich; DFO group); (3) intratracheal bleomycin (BLM, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.; BLM group); and (4) intratracheal BLM plus intraperitoneal deferoxamine (BLM + DFO group). They were intratracheally injected with 50 ul of BLM (5 mg/kg) on day 0. For the preventive anti-fibrotic treatment, DFO (50 mg/kg2 day-1) was administered from day 0 to day 20. Lung samples were collected at day 21.

C57BL/6 J mice (8-week old) from SLAC Laboratory Animal Co. LTD (Shanghai, China) were housed in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) barrier system at 20 with 12-h light/dark cycles. They were randomly grouped as follows: (1) intratracheal saline (control group); (2) intraperitoneal deferoxamine (DFO, Sigma-Aldrich; DFO group); (3) intratracheal bleomycin (BLM, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.; BLM group); and (4) intratracheal BLM plus intraperitoneal deferoxamine (BLM + DFO group). They were intratracheally injected with 50 ul of BLM (5 mg/kg) on day 0. For the preventive anti-fibrotic treatment, DFO (50 mg/kg2 day-1) was administered from day 0 to day 20. Lung samples were collected at day 21.

Forty Sprague-Dawley rats (weight 200 ± 20 g) were obtained from the Experimental Animal Center of Henan Province. The pulmonary fibrosis rat model was established using previously described techniques. The rats were administered a tracheal infusion of bleomycin at a concentration of 5 mg/kg in sterile 0.9% NaCl.

Forty Sprague-Dawley rats (weight 200 ± 20 g) were obtained from the Experimental Animal Center of Henan Province. The pulmonary fibrosis rat model was established using previously described techniques. The rats were administered a tracheal infusion of bleomycin at a concentration of 5 mg/kg in sterile 0.9% NaCl.