Fig. 7: AIM2 inflammasome plays a critical role in PFOS-induced allergic asthma exacerbation.

a The model of PFOS-induced allergic asthma exacerbation. b–f Wild type (WT, black plots) or Aim2^−/− (blue plots) mice undergone intragastric administration with PBS or PFOS followed by OVA challenge, were sacrificed 24 h after the final OVA challenge. H&E staining (b) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining (c) of lung tissue were assayed using a light microscope with ×200 magnification. BALF or serum was collected 24 h after the final OVA challenge and ELISA analysis of IL-4 (d) in the BALF and IL-1β in the BALF (e) or serum (f). Scale bar, 100 μm. The lung injury scores and the number of PAS-positive cells per unit of length (mm) of the basement membrane were determined and averaged in five randomly selected nonoverlapping fields from respective individual mouse tissue sections. All histology analyses were conducted in a blinded manner. In d–f, all error bars, mean values ± SD, P-values were determined by unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test (n = 5 independent biological mice per group). Source data are provided as a Source data file.