Figure 4. SLP-76^CKO mice are resistant to active EAE induction.

(A) Mice were treated with tam for five consecutive days prior to immunization with MOG35-55 and assessed for clinical signs of EAE. Control mice (SLP-76^WT, C57Bl/6 or C57Bl/6×129 mice) (squares; n=4) developed typical ascending paralysis starting at day 11. In contrast, SLP-76^CKO mice (triangles; n=3) were asymptomatic throughout. Representative clinical scores from one of three individual experiments are shown. (B) Mononuclear cells were isolated from the CNS of mice at day 28 post-immunization with MOG35-55. Cells were stained and analyzed by flow cytometry. Left panels are gated on live, mononuclear cells and a representative contour plot is shown. Right panels are gated on CD4⁺ as indicated and histograms indicate levels of cell surface CD44. Representative of data from two separate experiments with a total of six mice.