Figure 3: Effects of TNFRSF14 blockade after OVA sensitization.
(a) Experimental protocol. C57BL/6J mice were sensitized with three intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of OVA or PBS, followed by 9 weekly intranasal (i.n.) challenges with OVA or PBS. Anti-TNFRSF14 or isotype control (Iso Ctrl) antibody or PBS were injected i.p. One hour before the eighth and ninth i.n. OVA (or PBS) challenges. (b) Changes in RL induced by aerosolized methacholine, (c) numbers of leukocytes in BAL fluid (Tot, Total; Mon, monocytes; Mac, macrophages; Neu, neutrophils; Eos, eosinophils; Lym, lymphocytes), (d,e) Levels of plasma OVA-specific IgG1 (d) and IgE (e), (f) levels of lung collagen and (g) number of MCs, 24 h after the ninth OVA or PBS challenge. Four-to-ten female mice per group were used as indicated. Results are pooled from three independent experiments, each of which gave similar results. (h) Representative lung sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) (upper panel), Masson’s Trichrome (middle panel), demonstrating collagen (blue staining) and goblet cells (small arrows), or Toluidine blue (lower panel), demonstrating MCs (arrows) in mice 24 h after the ninth OVA challenge. Scale bars, 100 μm (insets: 25 μm). The data in b–g (shown as mean+s.e.m.) were assessed for statistical significance using a two-tailed Student’s t-test or a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Asterisks indicate statistical significance of differences between PBS-treated and corresponding Ag-treated groups; daggers indicate statistical significance between indicated groups. * or †P<0.05; ** or ††P<0.01; *** or †††P<0.001.
