IPF fibroblasts are desensitized to collagen rich matrix induced cell death in the presence of 3MA or CQ.

<p>A) 3×10⁴ control or IPF fibroblasts were cultured on polymerized collagen for 24 h in serum free medium in the presence of various doses of 3-methyladenine (3MA) or chloroquine (CQ), and cell viability was measured as described in the Materials and Methods. Shown is the % decrease in control and IPF fibroblasts in the presence of autophagic inhibitors on polymerized collagen (the viable IPF and control fibroblasts on collagen matrix in the absence of inhibitors (0 µM) are considered as 100% viable cells). B) 3×10⁴ control or IPF fibroblasts were cultured on 96 well tissue culture plates in the absence of polymerized collagen in serum free medium, and viable cells were measured in the presence of various doses of 3-methyl adenine (3MA, left panel) or chloroquine (CQ, right panel) for 24 h. Shown is the % decrease in viability in control and IPF fibroblasts in the presence of 3MA or CQ. All assays were performed in triplicate. C) 3×10⁴ control or IPF fibroblasts were cultured on polymerized collagen in serum free medium, and fibroblast proliferation was measured in the presence of 3MA (left panel) or CQ (right panel) for 24 h as described in the Materials and Methods. Shown is the % decrease in proliferation in control and IPF fibroblasts in the presence of 3MA or CQ. All assays were performed in three separate experiments to measure fibroblast viability or their proliferation using IPF cells in lane 5 and control fibroblasts in lane 3 in an upper panel in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0094616#pone-0094616-g001" target="_blank">Fig 1A</a>.