Fig. 4.

Regenerative capacity of adult cTECs. (A and B) Recovery of DP thymocytes in adult female (A) and male (B) mice at various time points after DT treatment at 2–3 mo; dpi, days after toxin injection. Each dot represents one animal. (C) Castration of male mice 1 d after DT treatment improves DP recovery; sham, sham operation. (D) Virilization of female mice by 5α-DHT prevents cTEC recovery; DT-treated adult female mice additionally received a slow-release pellet (p, placebo; DHT, 5α-dihydroxytestosterone). For C and D, the absolute number of DP thymocytes was determined 3 wk after DT treatment (mean values; each symbol represents one animal). Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher´s t test (***P < 0.001; **P < 0.01).