Structure and clearance function of the lungs of WT and SNAP23 Het mice
(A) Western blots of lung homogenates from adult WT and Het mice were probed with antibodies against SNAP23. Antibodies against β-actin and GAPDH were used as loading controls. (B) Western blots of lung homogenates from WT mice, with or without mucous metaplasia, were probed with antibodies against SNAP23. Antibodies against β-actin were used as a loading control. (C) The branching structure of airways from 3-week-old WT and Het mice was revealed by whole mount immunostaining using antibodies against CCSP to mark airway secretory cells and against smooth muscle actin (SMA) to mark arterioles. Scale bar in top image=2 mm and in bottom image=1 mm. (D) Fluorescent 2 μm polystyrene microspheres were instilled into the lungs of adult WT and Het mice and the percentage of microspheres cleared from the lungs in 15 min was measured as a percentage of those instilled. Results are the weighted means ± S.E.M. of ≥ two separate experiments with a total of ≥ four mice per group. (E) Total respiratory resistance during mechanical ventilation with MCh aerosol challenge. Results are the weighted means ± S.E.M. of ≥ two separate experiments with a total of ≥ four mice per group.