Figure 5.

EC-specific WWOX KO mice exhibit greater vascular leak during methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-induced ARDS. Six WWOX flox (control) and six WWOX KO mice were treated with intratracheal instillation of either PBS or 1 × 10⁸ cfu of USA 300 MRSA (n = 3 per group). Eighteen hours later, all mice underwent BAL using 1 ml of PBS. Lungs were then harvested for Western blotting and histologic examination. (A and B) Bar graphs depict BAL leukocyte counts, and protein conc. as a measure of permeability. Results are shown as means ± SD in n = 3 independent experiments. *P < 0.05, compared with LPS-treated control by Student’s t test. (C) A representative hematoxylin and eosin–stained lung histologic section from each of the four experimental conditions is shown here. Scale bars, 200 μm. cfu = colony forming unit.