Figure 3.

Number of CD4 T cells and percentages of CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and CD4⁺ FoxP3⁻ effector cells induced by intra-bone marrow–bone marrow transplantation (IBM-BMT) + adult thymus transplantation (ATT). Lethally irradiated BALB/c mice underwent transplantation with 2 × 10⁷ B6 bone marrow cells (BMCs) by IBM-BMT with or without ATT, or injection of 1 × 10⁷ spleen cells [donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI)] from the same donor. At 3 weeks after transplantation, the numbers of CD4 T cells (a), CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ Tregs and CD4⁺ FoxP3⁻ effector cells (b) were analysed in spleen cells. Representative fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) profiles for CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ Tregs and CD4⁺ FoxP3⁻ effector cells in the spleen (b) and the analysis for the percentage of Treg cells in CD4⁺ cells (c) are shown: the number of CD4 T cells in the mice treated with IBM-BMT + ATT was significantly higher than in those treated with IBM-BMT alone 3 weeks after transplantation. In addition, the cell number in the mice treated with IBM-BMT + DLI was significantly reduced compared with that in the mice treated with IBM-BMT alone or plus ATT (a). The percentage of CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ Tregs in the mice treated with IBM-BMT alone and B6 mice (donor) was significantly higher than in the mice treated with IBM-BMT + ATT or DLI. In the latter, the percentage of cells in those treated with IBM-BMT + ATT was significantly higher than in those treated with IBM-BMT + DLI (b). IBM-BMT alone, n = 6; IBM-BMT + ATT, n = 6; IBM-BMT + DLI, n = 5; untreated donor B6 spleen cells, n = 5. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation (SD). *P < 0·05; **P < 0·005.