Figure 5: MC TNFRSF14 contributes to OVA-induced asthma pathology.

(a) Changes in R_L induced by aerosolized methacholine, (b) numbers of leukocytes in BAL fluid, (c,d) levels of plasma OVA-specific IgG₁ (c) and IgE (d), (e) lung collagen and (f) lung MCs, 24 h after the ninth OVA (or PBS) challenge in kit mutant MC-deficient mice (Kit^W-sh/W-sh) engrafted with Tnfrsf14^+/+ or Tnfrsf14^−/− BMCMCs (Tnfrsf14^+/+ BMCMCs→Kit^W-sh/W-sh and Tnfrsf14^−/− BMCMCs→Kit^W-sh/W-sh). Four-to-fifteen female mice per group were used as indicated. Results are pooled from three independent experiments, each of which gave similar results. (g) 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. Scale bar, 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.