Fig. 4

Acetate treatment protects mice against RSV infection. a BALB/c mice were simultaneously infected with RSV and treated with 200 mM acetate in the drinking water. Analyses were performed on day five post infection. b Percentage body weight loss post infection relative to initial weight (day 0) (n = 9). c RSV viral load was measured 24, 48, 72, and 120 h after infection detected in lung by real-time PCR (viral copies/g lung tissue) (24, 48, and 72 h, n = 5; 120 h, n = 9). ND = not detected. d Total cell number and differential cell counts in BALF (n = 9). e Representative images of lung tissue stained with H&E and its respective inflammation scores (n = 3). Scale bars = 100 μm. f Release of TNF-α and IL-10 in BALF measured at different times after infection (n = 4). g Percentage CD4 + IL-4 + T cells in lung and its representative FACS profile (n = 6). h Percentage of IFNγ ⁺ , IL-17a ⁺ and FoxP3  CD4 T cells in the lung. The representative FACS profiles are shown in Supplementary Fig.3 A and B. i, j Female BALB/c mice were infected with RSV (10⁷ PFU/ml) and 24 h after infection started the treatment with acetate through the intranasal route (10 mM). Treatment was performed daily up to 5 days after infection. i Percentage body weight loss post infection relative to initial weight (day 0) (n = 5). j Total cell number in BALF (n = 5). All data are expressed as mean ± SEM. Data in b, c, d are from two independent experiments. Statistical significance between the groups was determined by Kruskal–Wallis, except in g, h, j, in which Mann–Whitney was used to compare the groups. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. Data in b, c, d, g, i, j are provided as a Source Data file