Figure 2

RSV infection results in significant lung histopathological lesions. Lungs were harvested at days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 post-RSV infection, stained with hematoxylin-and-eosin (HE), and scored for levels of inflammation as described in the Materials and Methods section. Representative HE staining of mouse lung tissue sections (original Magnification × 100) were shown. A: mock-infected BALB/c mice; B-F: RSV-infected BALB/c mice at days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 respectively. G: mock-infected nude mice; H-L: RSV-infected nude mice at days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 respectively. RSV induced a mass of inflammatory cells accumulation around the bronchiole, vascular and alveolar compartments, with goblet cell hyperplasia, mucus hypersecretion as well as partial destruction of regular tissue structures. M: Histological scores were remarkably elevated in the RSV-infected mice compared with the mock group. Graphs are representative of two independent experiments performed on 10 animals per group. *, p < 0.05, **, p < 0.01, ***, p < 0.001 shown comparing the corresponding mice groups are connected by a line.