Figure 4

Levels of neutrophils, infiltrating monocytes/small macrophages, alveolar macrophages and myeloid dendritic cells during chronic P. aeruginosa infection in resistant and susceptible mice.

Susceptible A/J and resistant C3H/HeOuJ mice were inoculated with 2 × 10⁶ CFU of P. aeruginosa mucoid clinical isolate AA43 embedded in agar beads by intratracheal injection and sacrificed at day 2, 7 and 14 post challenge. The absolute numbers of neutrophils (CD45⁺Gr1^highCD11b^high) (A), infiltrating monocytes/small macrophages (CD45⁺CD11b⁺CD11c⁻) (B), alveolar macrophages (CD45⁺CD11b⁻ CD11c⁺) (C) and myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) (CD45⁺CD11b⁺CD11c⁺) (D) were measured by flow cytometric analysis in lung cell suspension of naïve mice and after 2, 7 and 14 days post challenge and represented as bars. Bars represent mean values and the error bars the SEM. The data are pooled from two independent experiments. Statistical significance by Mann-Whitney U test and nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test followed by post-hoc Dunn test to correct for multiple comparisons is indicated: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. Colored stars indicate the statistical significance of the difference between each mouse strain at the specific time point compared with its own naïve counterpart.