Figure 5. Phenotypic characterization of leukocytes in the small intestine of STAg-pretreated and infected C57BL/6 mice.

The leukocytes were obtained from the small intestine on day 8 p.i. as described on 'Material and methods' section. The number (mean ± SD) of CD3⁺, CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD3⁺CD8⁺, CD19⁺, CD3⁺NK⁺, NK⁺ and CD11b⁺, CD11c⁺, CD11b⁺CD11c⁺ (A) leukocytes were analyzed in the LP. The numbers of CD3⁺, CD3⁺γδ⁺, CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD3⁺CD8⁺ (B) lymphocytes were analyzed in the intraepithelial compartment. The intracellular IFN-γ and IL-17 production, after in vitro stimulation with PMA/Ionomicin were detected in cells from the LP (C) and intraepithelial compartment (D) of the small intestine from PBS- or STAg-pretreated C57BL/6 mice on day 8 p.i. The IFN-γ, TGF-β, and RORγt (E) transcript expressions in CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ IELs from a pool obtained of 4 mice per group of naïve, PBS- or STAg-pretreated and infected mice was quantified by qPCR on day 8 p.i. Data are representative of at least two independent experiments of 5 mice per group. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 (Statistically different from values observed for the same cell phenotype obtained from PBS-pretreated mice, Unpaired Student’s t-test).