Journal: Nature Communications
Article Title: TLR7 promotes smoke-induced experimental lung damage through the activity of mast cell tryptase
doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42913-z
Figure Lengend Snippet: a TLR7 mRNA levels in airway epithelial brushings from non-smokers (NS), healthy smokers without COPD (Smoker) and COPD patients with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage I (mild) or II (moderate) disease ( n = 12 NS; n = 12 Smokers; n = 15 mild or moderate COPD). b TLR7 mRNA levels in lung parenchyma cores from NS and COPD patients with GOLD stage IV (severe) disease ( n = 16 NS; n = 48 severe COPD). Differential gene expression analysis was performed using published microarray datasets (GEO accession numbers GSE5058 and GSE27597) and the numbers in panels a and b represent the false discovery rate (FDR), whereby *denotes FDR of COPD vs . NS; and # denotes FDR of COPD vs . Smoker. The data are presented as box and whiskers with min to max showing all points. c Correlation analysis of anti-Smith antibody levels in serum and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) of mild-to-moderate COPD patients ( n = 40). d Human lung sections stained with tryptase, TLR7 and DAPI by immunofluorescence, and e TLR7 + mast cells were enumerated in sections from NS controls ( n = 4), smoker ( n = 6) and COPD patients ( n = 11). The numbers of TLR7 + mast cells correlated with f FEV 1 % predicted, g pack years of cigarettes, and h low attenuation areas less than a threshold of −950 Hounsfield units (%LAA950) in NS, smoker, and COPD patients. i Induction of experimental COPD where wild-type (WT) BALB/c mice (female, 6–8 weeks old) were exposed to nose-only inhalation of cigarette smoke (CS) for up to 12 weeks, controls received normal air. j Tlr7 mRNA levels in whole lungs of WT mice exposed to normal air or CS after 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks ( n = 6 mice per group). Tlr7 mRNA levels in blunt-dissected k airways and l lung parenchyma after 8 weeks of CS exposure ( n = 6 mice per group). Wild-type (WT) BALB/c mice ( n = 6) were exposed to CS for 8 weeks to induce experimental COPD, controls were exposed to normal air. m TLR7 protein was assessed in mouse lungs by immunoblot, and n quantitated by densitometry analysis of fold change normalised to β-actin ( n = 6 mice per group). o Representative micrographs ( n = 3 mice per group) of TLR7 immunostaining in small airways (top) and lung parenchyma (bottom) of WT mice exposed to normal air (left) or CS (right) for 8 weeks. Scale bars, 50 µm. WT BALB/c mice were exposed to 8 weeks of CS, control mice breathed normal air. p Total TLR7 + cells, q mMCP4 + TLR7 + mast cells and r F4/80 + TLR7 + macrophages enumerated in whole lung sections ( n = 6 mice per group). All data are presented as means ± s.e.m. and are representative of two independent experiments. For panel c , f – h , correlation analyzes were performed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient test. For panel e , compared to NS or smokers using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test. The rest of the panels compared COPD to normal air-exposed controls using a two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
Article Snippet: Then, using the ULTRA Staining system (Ventana Medical Systems), sections were washed with deionized water and incubated (37˚C, 30 min) with primary rabbit polyclonal anti-human TLR7 antibody (dilution 1:100, Proteintech, code 17232-1-AP, Supplementary Table ).
Techniques: Expressing, Microarray, Staining, Immunofluorescence, Western Blot, Immunostaining, Comparison, Two Tailed Test, MANN-WHITNEY