Figure 1.

Generation of Aβ-specific effector T cells. (A) Thy1.1+ C57Bl/6 mice were immunized subcutaneously with Aβ peptide plus CFA or with CFA alone (control mice). 14 days later, the mice were boosted with either Aβ peptide plus IFA or IFA alone. 7 days later the mice were euthanized and splenocytes were isolated from either Aβ-immunized or control mice. (B-D) In order to assess Aβ-specific T cell responses, CFSE-labeled splenocytes were incubated ex vivo with Aβ peptide and 4 days later were analyzed for their CFSE dilution (as a readout of T- cell proliferation) (B) and production of effector cytokines by intracellular staining (C and D). Flow cytometry analyses were restricted to viable cells and gated on T cells. T cells from mice immunized with Aβ peptide exhibited a higher degree of proliferation (CFSE dilution) and produced higher levels of effector cytokines when restimulated ex vivo with Aβ peptide as compared to T cells from control mice.