Figure 5.

RAGE mediated N-protein–induced acute lung injury. (A–C) WT C57BL/6 mice were administered intratracheally with His-tagged full-length N-protein (75 μg/mouse in 50 μl) or PBS. (A) BAL and serum samples were harvested at 24 hours. RAGE levels in the BAL and serum were determined by ELISA (n = 8). (B) Total RAGE mRNA expression in BAL cells was examined via qRT-PCR (n = 9). (C) RAGE expression in lung tissue was detected via immunohistochemistry (n = 3). Scale bars, 20 μm. (D–F) RAGE^−/− mice with C57BL/6 background and WT C57BL/6 mice were treated with PBS or N-protein (75 μg/mouse in 50 μl) intratracheally. Lung tissue and BAL samples were collected at 24 hours after N-protein insult. (D) Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (n = 3). Scale bars, 50 μm. (E) Total protein, total cells, and neutrophils in the BAL were assayed to evaluate lung injury (n = 8). (F) Levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the BAL were determined via ELISA (n = 8). Data are presented as mean ± SD. **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001. Student’s two-tailed t test (A and B). Two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test (E and F).