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. 2018 Sep 6;3(17):e120994. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.120994

Figure 2. Mice exposed to elastase (PPE) show goblet cell hyperplasia/metaplasia and mucus accumulation in the airways.

Figure 2

(A) Alcian blue/Periodic acid-Schiff–stained (AB/PAS-stained) tissue section of mice airways exposed i.n. to saline (vehicle). (B) AB/PAS-stained tissue section of mice airways exposed i.n. to elastase (PPE), showing a marked increase in AB/PAS-positive cells. Representative images of 4–5 animals/group. Scale bar: 100 μm (left panels) or 33 μm (right panels). (C and D) High- and low-magnification images of lungs from mice exposed to saline or elastase (PPE). Scale bar: 100 μm. (E) Paraffin sections stained with H&E revealed few immune cells around intrapulmonary airways and intact alveoli from saline-instilled mice. Mild perivascular and peribronchiolar lymphocytic infiltration and damaged alveoli were detected in PPE-challenged mice. Scale bar: 100 μm. (F) Airway obstruction presented by measuring the percentage of airway luminal area containing AB/PAS-stained material in 1 entire lung section per animal; n = 4–9 animals/group, median ± IQR, saline vs. PPE (**P = 0.001), inactivated PPE vs. PPE (*P = 0.01), Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons test. (G) Differential white blood cell counts in BALF of vehicle- and PPE-exposed mice; n = 9–17 animals/group, data presented as median ± IQR, neutrophils (***P = 0.0008), eosinophils (****P < 0.0001), macrophages (***P = 0.0005), and lymphocytes (****P < 0.0001), Mann-Whitney U test.