Table 3.

DCs from Tolerized Rats Transferred Tolerance to Naïve Rats

Donor of DCs	Recipient with EAM after challenge	Mean score (0+–4+) ± SD
S2-16:IFA	1/8	0 ± 0.3*
S2-16:IFA (+ anti-IL-10)	4/6	1.9 ± 1.8
S2-1:IFA	0/3	0†
PBS:IFA	0/3	0†
S2-16:CFA	6/8	1.6 ± 1.1
Naive	4/5	1.7 ± 1.1

Lewis rats were treated with S2-16:IFA. Control rats were treated with S2-16:CFA, S2-1:IFA, PBS:IFA, or left untreated. Splenic DCs were obtained from each group of animals 2 weeks after treatment, and were cultured in vitro with peptide S2-16, together with LPS plus anti-rat CD40 antibody for 12 hours. One group of S2-16:IFA-treated rats were incubated with antibody against rat IL-10 in addition. DC aliquot (10⁶) was injected into each naïve Lewis rat intravenously. The recipients were concomitantly challenged by active immunization with S2-16:CFA after transfer, and sacrificed 3 weeks after challenge. Myocarditis was identified in the fixed heart sections by histopathological examination. 

^*P < 0.01 for groups: S2-16:IFA versus naïve, S2-16:IFA versus S2-16:IFA (+ anti-IL-10), and S2-16:IFA versus S2-16:CFA. 

^†P < 0.05 for groups: S2-1:IFA versus naïve, and PBS:IFA versus naive.