Figure 3. Effect of increased pressure, LPS, and cytokine maturation stimuli on DC capacity to stimulate T-cell proliferation.
CFSE-labeled T-cells were co-cultured for three days with either iDCs, LPS- or cytokine-matured DCs exposed to ambient (open bars) or 40 mmHg increased pressure (closed bars) conditions. T-cell proliferation was determined by flow cytometric analysis of CFSE label intensity in co-cultured (A) CD4+ and (B) CD8+ T-cells. The stimulatory effect of DC-conditioned medium on (C) CD4+ and (D) CD8+ T-cell proliferation was similarly assessed. Proliferation data is representative of T-cell proliferation index values normalized to respective iDC ambient pressure controls and graphically expressed as mean ± SEM (n=6). *P<0.05 compared with respective ambient pressure control; #P<0.05 compared with respective iDC ambient pressure or unconditioned medium control.