Figure 1. Chronic cigarette smoke exposure enhances RSV pathology in mouse airways.

(A) Protocol for administering A2 RSV strain and cigarette smoke to C57BL/6J mice. C57BL/6J mice (n = 12 animals/group) were infected with monthly RSV infections in combination with 6 months of smoke exposure. (B) Changes in body weight of each treatment group of C57BL/6J mice, represented as a percentage of initial weight of mock and room air treated mice at the beginning of this study. p values shown, comparing both groups by 2-way ANOVA. (C) RSV N copy number was determined 10 days post final infection in the lungs of C57BL/6J mice infected with 1×10⁶ pfu of RSV A2 strain and exposed to either room air or cigarette smoke for 6 months. Absolute RSV N concentration was represented as natural log pg. (D) BALF immune cellularity was measured and changes were observed following repeat monthly RSV infections in combination with 6 months of smoke exposure on total immune cell number, macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes. Graphs are represented as mean ± S.E.M., where each measurement was performed 3 times on 12 animals/group. p values shown, comparing both treatments connected by a line.