Skip to main content
. 2014 Jul 16;9(7):e100970. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100970

Figure 4. Attenuated immune-mediated pneumonia in ICOS agonist treated mice.

Figure 4

BALB/c mice were IAV infected and treated with ICOS agonist and isotype control antibody as depicted in Figure 1A. On day 7 and 9 post infection lungs were collected and subjected to histological examination. (A) A – ICOS agonist, day 7: bronchiointerstitial pneumonia, grade 1, lymphocytic and neutrophilic; alveolar infiltration, grade 1, with lymphocytes, neutrophils and fewer alveolar histiocytes; B – isotype control, day 7: bronchiointerstitial pneumonia, grade 2, lymphocytic, with scattered neutrophils; alveolar infiltration, grade 1, with lymphocytes, fewer neutrophils and alveolar histiocytes; C – ICOS agonist, day 9: bronchiointerstitial pneumonia, grade 2, lymphocytic, with scattered neutrophils; alveolar infiltration, grade 2, with lymphocytes, fewer neutrophils and alveolar histiocytes; D – isotype control, day 9: bronchiointerstitial pneumonia, grade 2.5, lymphocytic, with scattered neutrophils; alveolar infiltration grade 2.5, with lymphocytes, fewer neutrophils and alveolar histiocytes; bronchial epithelial necrosis, grade 2; E – ICOS agonist, day 7: bronchointerstitial pneumonia, grade 1; F – isotype control, day 7: bronchointerstitial pneumonia, grade 3; G- ICOS agonist, day 7: Alveolar infiltration, grade 1; H - isotype control, day 7: Alveolar infiltration, grade 3; I - ICOS agonist, day 7: Necrosis of bronchial epithelium, grade 1; J – isotype control, day 7: Necrosis of bronchial epithelium: grade 2. (B and C) Inflammation score for alveolar infiltration, broncho-interstitial pneumonia, affected lung tissue and bronchiola & alveolar necrosis on day 7 and 9, respectively, post IAV infection. 1 = mild; 1.5 = mild to moderate; 2 = moderate; 2.5 = moderate to severe; 3 = severe; % = area of affected tissue; n = 5 mice in the ICOS agonist treated group, n = 3 mice in the isotype treated group. (D) Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected on day 8 post IAV infection and concentration of IL-6, IFN-γ (data obtained were pooled from two independent experiments) and TNF-α was determined by ELISA. Dots represent data obtained for individual mice. Statistical analysis was done by non-parametric Mann-Whitney test.