Intra-amniotic Ureaplasma parvum–induced modest fetal lung
inflammation. A, Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were isolated from the
right lower lobe of the fetal lung. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was
performed using rhesus-specific TaqMan probes. The values in box-and-whisker plots
were first internally normalized to the endogenous 18S RNA, and the resultant values
for the experimental animals were shown as fold increase compared with the mean
value for the controls. B, Box-and-whisker plots show cytokine
protein levels in alveolar wash fluid from controls and U.
parvum–infected animals at 3 and 7 days. Boxes represent 25th–75th
percentiles; horizontal lines, medians; and the whiskers, represent 5th and 95th
percentile values (n = 5 per group); *P < .05 (Mann–Whitney
U test). A strong trend toward significance was observed for IL-6
protein levels at 7 days, CXCL8 protein levels at 3 days, and CCL2 protein levels at
3 days in alveolar wash fluid (all P = .06 vs controls;
Mann–Whitney U test). Abbreviations: IL-1β, interleukin 1β; IL-6,
interleukin 6; TNF, tumor necrosis factor.