Animals
Considering the predominant prevalence of pneumoconiosis among males, we selected male C57BL/6J mice (25 - 30 g, 8 weeks old) for our study. Mice were placed in sterile cages at standard temperatures of 24 - 26°C, 60 - 70% humidity, and 12 h of light/12 h of dark. Fresh water and food were provided on a weekly basis. The mouse compartment was maintained under specific pathogen-free conditions. All animal experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Peking Union Medical College (Ethical Review Number: ACUC-A01-2022-034).