Figure 3.

Caspase-1 inhibition in P. aeruginosa–infected mice decreases lung compliance and increases lung permeability. Groups of mice were inoculated intratracheally and injected intraperitoneally, as described in the legend to Figure 1, and analyzed 24 hours after inoculation. (A) Effects of caspase-1 inhibition on lung airway compliance, where n = 6 mice from the SS/C control group, 3 mice from the SS/DMSO control group, 3 mice from the SS/YVAD control group, 6 mice from the PA103(UT⁺)/DMSO experimental group, and 6 mice from the PA103(UT⁺)/YVAD experimental group. (B) Effects of caspase-1 inhibition on lung permeability measured as the extravasation of systemically perfused Evan’s blue dye conjugated to albumin (EBD-albumin) into the air space, where n = 5 mice from the SS/C control group, 5 mice from the PA103/DMSO experimental group, and 5 mice from the PA103/YVAD experimental group. Ventilated mouse lungs were perfused, in situ, with EBD-albmuin, and lungs were subsequently washed and BAL fluid collected and measured by spectrophotometry, with spectrophotometric absorbance measured at a wavelength of 620 nm (EBD-BAL A_{620 nm}). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05 by one-way ANOVA (Newman-Keuls post hoc test) for experimental conditions (gray and black bars) compared with control conditions (white bars). **P < 0.05 by one-way ANOVA (Newman-Keuls post hoc test) when comparing within a group.