Figure 7.

Electroporation-mediated gene delivery of Ear1 protects the respiratory epithelium of lungs from infected mice exposed to hyperoxia as neonates. Lungs of adult mice exposed to room air (RA) or hyperoxia (O₂) as neonates were electroporated with empty vector (Con) or plasmid-expressing Ear1 (Ear1). Mice were infected with influenza A virus 48 hours later. Lungs were harvested before infection (A) and on postinfection day 5 (B). Lung homogenates were immunoblotted for ABCA3, CCSP, E-cadherin, and β-actin. Band intensities were quantified and graphed relative to β-actin. Neonatal oxygen significantly reduced expression of ABCA3, CCSP, and E-cadherin during infection. (n = 3 mice per group, *P < 0.05) but not when Ear1 was overexpressed (n = 5 mice per group, **P < 0.05).