Progesterone impairs antigen-non-specific immune protection by CD8 T memory cells via interferon-γ gene hypermethylation
Fig 6
Dependence of IFN-γ in progesterone-induced impairment of protection by antigen-non-specific CD8 Tm cells.
CD8 Tm cells were generated by immunization with rAdHuOVA in C57BL/6 mice (Tm) or IFNG-/- mice (IFN-γ-/- Tm). At 40 days post immunization, some immunized C57BL/6 mice were injected with progesterone(Proge) for 2 weeks, with or without decitabine(Dec) treatment. OVA antigen-specific CD8 Tm (Tm or IFN-γ-/- Tm) cells purified from the spleen and MLN were adoptive transferred into naïve IFNG-/- mice followed by LM infection. Some mice adoptive transferred with CD8 Tm cells were treated with anti-IFN-γ neutralizing antibody before and after infection. Bacterial CFU numbers in the spleen (A and C) and the liver (B and D) at 72 hours post infection are shown. Error bars represent mean±SD. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparisons test was used to compare between multiple groups. * P<0.05; ** P<0.01; *** P<0.001; **** P<0.0001. Data in (A) and (B) are representatives of 2 independent experiments with n = 3 to 4 per group. Data in (C) and (D) are representatives of 2 independent experiments with n = 3 per group.