2.5 Histopathological analysis and lung injury scoring
Mouse lung samples were fixed in a 4% paraformaldehyde solution, followed by dehydration and embedding in paraffin. The samples were then sectioned into 5 μm thick slices. These sections were then stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for microscopic evaluation of morphological alterations of lung tissues and lung injury severity was quantified using a scoring system. This system rated alveolar edema, congestion, inflammatory infiltration, and interstitial thickening on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (diffuse involvement), with increasing scores denoting escalating lesion area within the field of view. The aggregated scores from these categories facilitated comparative analysis between groups.