Invariant NKT Cells Act as an Adjuvant to Enhance Th2 Inflammatory Response in an OVA-Induced Mouse Model of Asthma
Fig 7
Th2 inflammatory response is reduced, but not completely abrogated in CD1d-/- mice immunized and challenged with OVA, compared with WT (CD1d+/+) mice.
A. Histopathological analysis using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining of the lung tissue sections from CD1d+/+ and CD1d-/- mice immunized and challenged with OVA. B. Total cell and differential cell counts in the BALF from CD1d+/+ and CD1d-/- mice immunized and challenged with OVA were obtained by a standard hemocytometer. N = 4 per group and *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. Tot, total cell counts; Mar, macrophages; Eos, eosinophils; Neu, neutrophils; and Lym, lymphocytes. C. Lung goblet cell hyperplasia is expressed as the number of PAS-positive cells per unit of length (mm) of the basement membrane. N = 4 per group and **P < 0.01. D. OVA-specific Ig levels from CD1d+/+ and CD1d-/- mice immunized and challenged with OVA were analyzed by ELISA. N = 4 per group and *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. E. BALF were collected 24 h after the final challenge and the levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 from CD1d+/+ and CD1d-/- mice immunized and challenged with OVA were analyzed by ELISA. N = 4 per group and *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. F. Splenocytes were obtained from CD1d+/+ and CD1d-/- mice immunized and challenged with OVA and re-stimulated with 500 μg OVA in vitro. After 72 h, culture supernatants were collected and cytokine production was analyzed by ELISA. N = 4 per group and *P <0.05, **P < 0.01.