, 2007). The number of eosinophils, neutrophils, leukocytes and macrophages and also epithelial cells were counted. After BALF collection, animals were euthanized by exsanguination

(Vieira et al., 2007 and Vieira et al., 2008). Lungs were removed in block, fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. Section of a 5-μm thickness was stained with periodic acid Schiff with alcian blue (PAS/AB) for the evaluation of the volume proportion of ciliated to secretory cells and for the evaluation of the volume proportion of acidic to neutral mucus production (Harkema et al., 1987). Epithelial cell density and mucus production in the airway were quantified by the morphometric method using a 100-points/50-intercepts grid with a known area Selleckchem Veliparib (10,000 μm2 at a 1000× magnification) attached to the microscope eyepiece. The number of points hitting on the neutral and acidic mucus, on the goblet and ciliated epithelial cells into the airway LY294002 solubility dmso epithelium area (located between the internal limit of airway epithelium and the epithelial basal membrane) was counted and a volume proportion (percentage) between the total epithelial area for the points in ciliated and secretory cells and in acidic and neutral mucus was calculated. The measurement was performed in 5 complete airways (basal

membrane between 1 mm to 2 mm) of each animal at 1000× magnification (Broide et al., 2005 and Vieira et al., 2007). These data represent the responses measured from the entire tracheobronchial tree. Immunohistochemistry was performed with the following antibodies: interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-13, eotaxin (CCL11), RANTES (CCL5), VCAM-1, ICAM-1, neuronal nitric oxide

Galeterone synthase (nNOS), nuclear factor kB (NF-kB), IL-10, interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-2, GP91phox, 3-nitrotyrosine, 8-Iso-PGF2alpha (8-isoprostane), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1), SOD-2, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), matrix metaloprotease 9 (MMP-9), MMP-12, tissue inhibitor of matrix metaloprotease 1 (TIMP-1), TIMP-2, purinergic receptor 7 (P2X7R) (Santa Cruz, CA, USA), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (Labvision, Neomarkes, CA, USA) through the biotin–streptavidin peroxidase method. An ABC Vectastin Kit (Vector Elite PK-6105 or PK-6101) was used as the secondary antibody and 3,3-diaminobenzidine (Sigma Chemical Co., St Louis, MO, USA) was used as the chromogen. The sections were counterstained with Harris hematoxylin (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). The epithelium area was measured, as was the positive area for each antibody described above using an image analysis program (Image-Pro Plus; Media Cybernetics, Silver Spring, MD, USA).