Figure 4: Tnfrsf14−/− mice exhibit diminished OVA-induced asthma pathology.
(a) Changes in RL induced by aerosolized methacholine, (b) numbers of leukocytes in BAL fluid, (c,d) levels of plasma OVA-specific IgG1 (c) and IgE (d), (e) levels of lung collagen and (f) numbers of lung mast cells, 24 h after the ninth OVA (or PBS) challenge in Tnfrsf14−/− and littermate control Tnfrsf14+/+ mice. Three-to-seven female mice per group were used as indicated. Results are pooled from three independent experiments, each of which gave similar results. (g) 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) 24 h after the ninth OVA challenge. Three-to-seven female mice per group were used as indicated. Scale bars, 100 μm (insets: 25 μm). The data in a–f (shown as mean+or±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.
