Fig. 4

Treatment with rIL22 and I3A protects against PM exposure exacerbated lung epithelial damage and mortality in influenza infected mice. Neonatal mice were exposed to aerosolized PM and infected with influenza or sham infected at 4 dpe. Mice were treated with rIL22 (5 ng/g body weight) or I3A (5 µg/g body weight) delivered intranasally starting at 1 dpe, once a day. BALF was collected at 2 dpi and albumin concentration in BALF was measured using ELISA (A, C). Survival rate was calculated in mice treated with rIL22 (B) and I3A (D). Lungs were isolated at 4 dpi from I3A treated mice and Il22 expression in lungs was assessed using qRT-PCR (E). n = 3–5/group for BALF albumin, n = 3–4/group for lung Il22 expression, n = 5–9/group for survival. a p < 0.05, compared to Saline + Vehicle group, b p < 0.05, compared to Saline + rIL22 or Saline + I3A group