4.2. Animals

C57BL/6 (WT), TLR2 (C57BL/6 genetic background), and CD14 KO (C57BL/6 genetic background) mice (6–8 weeks old) were used in this study. The mice were acquired from the animal facility of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School at the University of São Paulo, and were bred and housed under optimized hygienic conditions at the animal facility of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School. The mice were anesthetized with xylazine (125 mg/kg) and ketamine (10 mg/kg) in phosphate buffer solution (PBS), with their neck hyperextended and their trachea exposed after incision.