Precision Cut Lung Slices: A Novel Method for Examining Respiratory Diseases

Bacterial infections and cigarette smoking have been linked to exacerbations of respiratory disease including severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Epidemiological studies have also shown increased incidences of respiratory tract infections even in young smokers. We have previously shown that cigarette smoke exacerbates the inflammatory response to influenza A virus (PLoS ONE. 2010 Oct 12;5(10): e13251) and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 Apr 15;179(8):666) infection. While it is well understood that cigarette smoke impairs respiratory host defense, little is known with respect to mechanisms driving the outcome of infection in smoke-exposed mice. In this study, we attempt to characterize the antibacterial responses of lung resident cells from smoke-exposed mice to TLR agonists and live pathogens by gene expression profiling and to compare similarities and differences of inflammatory profiles between mouse and man.

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