Figure 8.

Effect of the dual altered peptide ligand (APL) on the expression of Fas, FasL by lymph node (LN) cells of C57BL/6 mice with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). (a) EAMG was induced in C57BL/6 mice by immunization and boost with Torpedo acetylcholine receptor (TAChR). Mice were treated for 4 weeks with either phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (vehicle) or the dual APL (see Materials and methods). Mice were graded before and after treatment as follows: grade 3, severe muscle weakness, paralysis, dehydration, moribund; grade 2, weakness at rest; grade 1, moderate muscular weakness after exercise; and grade 0, no definite muscular weakness after exercise. (b) At the end of treatment, popliteal LN cells were harvested, stained for CD4, CD25, and Fas or FasL and analysed by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). The results are from pooled samples (LN cells) of mice with EAMG that were treated with the dual APL or of diseased mice that were administered with PBS (as shown in a). Results presented are after reduction of the background staining obtained with the matched isotype controls. Shown is one of two experiments performed.