Figure 1. Imiquimod increases IL-17 and IL-22 in both γδ and αβ T cells in skin.

Skin and ear of wild type C57BL/6 mice were treated by topical application of imiquimod cream (Fougera, n=4) or control cream (Vaseline, n=3) for 6 consecutive days. (a) Weight loss of imiquimod and control cream treated mice monitored daily. (b) Photographs of imiquimod and control cream treated skin and ear; photos were taken at day 6. H&E stained ear and back skin sections of imiquimod treated and control mice. Scale bar, 200 μm. (c) Thickness of skin measured by Digimatic Caliper at day 6 in control and imiquimod treated mice. Data showed represents average of at least two measurements. (d) Ear thickness of imiquimod and control cream treated mice monitored daily. Ear thickness was measured using Digimatic Caliper. (e) Quantitative PCR analysis of Th17 associated cytokines and Foxp3 in skin after 6 days of imiquimod and control cream treatment. (f) Representative flow cytometric analysis of TCRγδ⁺Vγ4⁺IL-17⁺ (upper raw) and TCRγδ⁺Vγ4⁺IL-22⁺ cells (lower row) in the skin of control (n=3) and imiquimod treated mice (n=4). (g) Representative flow cytometric analysis of single-positive TCRβ⁺IL-17⁺ (upper raw) or TCRβ⁺IL-22⁺ (lower raw) cells in the skin of control (n=3) and imiquimod treated mice (n=4). Data representative of more than three experiments, results are shown as mean±s.e.m., significance determined by unpaired two-tailed Student's t-test (*P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001).