Figure 3.

TAGDD-1 treatment attenuates RSV-induced disease and viral titer and ameliorates pulmonary lung function in mice. (A) Mice were treated i.n. with different TAGDD-1 (1 mg/kg body weight) or an appropriate volume of vehicle (DMSO) 1 h before, 6 h and 20 h after infection. Mice were inoculated with either RSV or PBS. Mice were monitored daily for changes in body weight (B) and disease manifestation (C). Body weight (B) was calculated based on the original weight before the infection. Black squares—RSV infected TAGDD-1 treated animals; black circles—RSV-infected DMSO (vehicle)-treated animals; open squares—sham PBS-infected TAGDD-1 treated animals; open circles—sham PBS-infected and vehicle (DMSO)-treated animals. Clinical disease score (C), calculated on a 0–5 scale where 5 equals death of the animal, was assigned in a blind manner. (D) Oxygen saturation levels (SpO₂) as determined by pulse-oximetry at day 3 after infection. (E) Unrestrained, whole-body plethysmography (Buxco Electronics, Inc., Sharon, CT, USA) was used to measure the Enhanced Pause (Penh) to evaluate airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Baseline and post-methacholine challenge Penh values were determined at day 5 after infection. (F) At day 2, 3 and 5 p.i., lungs were excised and viral replication was determined by plaque assay. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 4–5 mice/group). * p < 0.05, n.d.—not determined when TAGDD-1/RSV was compared to vehicle/RSV using one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test.