Figure 8.

Protection against clinical EAMG by Tα146-162 feeding is associated with downregulation of T-helper cytokines. Peptide treatment significantly reduced IFN-γ and IL-2 (Th1-type cytokines) production from spleen T cells cultured with TAChR (IFN-γ, P = 0.007; IL-2, P = 0.0084) or Tα146-162 (IFN-γ, P = 0.01; IL-2, P = 0.0004) compared with animals treated with the control peptide (a and b). IL-10 production was significantly reduced only in supernatants from T cells challenged with TAChR (P = 0.015) but not with Tα146-162 (P = 0.07) (c). No production of TGF-β was observed in T-cell supernatants from Tα146-162–treated mice (d).