Figure 6. Macrophage and dendritic cell populations were altered after β-defensin treatment during virus infection.
Mouse β-defensin 4 (MBD4) treatment reduced the total number of cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lungs after infection. Both strains of influenza virus led to a reduction in the alveolar macrophage (AM) populations which was reversed by MBD. The virus-induced increase in interstitial macrophages (IM) did not occur in MBD-treated mice. The number of CD103+ dendritic cells (DCs) did not change in the airways either during virus infection alone of MBD treatment, although these cells increased in the lungs of MBD-treated mice infected with CA4. The number of CD11b+ DCs was reduced in the lungs after MBD as did neutrophils in both compartments. Graphs represent the mean and standard deviation of n=5 mice/group and are representative of two independent experiments. Asterisks (*) represent p<0.05 by nonparametric one-way ANOVA and Dunn's multiple comparisons test. Please see Supplemental Figure 3 for detailed gating strategy.