Lupus-prone Mice Exposure to Silica

All experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Michigan State University in accordance with the National Institutes of Health guidelines for animal use. Female 7 wk old lupus-prone NZBWF1 and control C57Bl/6 mice were obtained from Jackson Laboratories (Bar Harbor, ME), randomized into treatment groups, and allowed to acclimate for 2 wk prior to cSiO₂ exposure. Upon arrival and throughout the study, mice were fed semi-purified American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93G diet containing high oleic safflower oil [34 (link)]. Mice were housed 4 per cage with free access to food and water and maintained at constant temperature and humidity (21°C–24°C and 40–55%, respectively) under a 12-h light/dark cycle.