Fig. 5.

KCs are dispensable for PLG-Ag-induced tolerance in EAE. (A) Schematic representation of treatment scheme. On day −21, SJL mice were splenectomized (Splx; n = 7 per condition) or received a sham surgery (n = 5 per condition). After recovery, one splenectomized cohort was injected with 200 μL of 5 mg/mL clodronate liposomes (Clod) to deplete KCs. 24 h later, mice received 2 mg of PLG-PLP or irrelevant PLG-OVA. 7 days following NP treatment (day 0), mice were immunized with PLP/CFA to induce relapsing-remitting EAE. Mice were scored daily by blinded observers. (B) Mice treated with PLG-PLP displayed decreased clinical scores regardless of splenectomy status or KC depletion, demonstrating that KCs are dispensable to PLG-Ag-mediated tolerance in EAE. Statistical differences were determined using the Kruskal-Wallis test (one-way ANOVA nonparametric test) for the course of disease from day 11–33 (p < 0.05). Error bars indicate SEM and data are representative of 2 independent experiments. Splx, splenectomized; Clod, clodronate-treated.