Figure 7. Adoptive transfer of CD4+LAP+ T cells ameliorates severity of TNBS-colitis.

Mice were administered intra-rectal ethanol/TNBS to induce TNBS-colitis alone or TNBS-colitis in adoptively transferred LPMCs or LAP+ T cell-depleted LPMCs mice. A and B. Body weight changes; each point represents mean ±SE weight at indicated times expressed as percentage of day 0 weight and derived from an experiment in which six mice/group were evaluated; * p<0.05 TNBS-colitis in Nod2−/− recipients of LAP+ T cell-depleted LPMC vs. recipients of LPMC and Nod2−/− mice with TNBS-colitis alone; C: histological appearance of representative colons of different groups of Nod2−/− mice sacrificed at day 3 after TNBS administration; H&E staining, 40× magnification: a, mild submucosal edema with mild inflammatory cell infiltration; b, moderate ulcerative colitis with moderate submucosal edema and inflammatory cell infiltration; c, normal colonic architecture/patterns; Colitis score: * p<0.05 TNBS-colitis in Nod2−/− recipients of LAP-depleted LPMC vs. recipients of LPMC and Nod2−/− mice with TNBS-colitis alone. D. histological appearance of representative colons of different groups of Nod2+/+ mice sacrificed at day 3 after TNBS administration; H&E staining, 40× magnification: a, severe, diffuse, transmural ulcerative colitis with severe, submucosal inflammatory cell infiltration also involving the smooth muscle and serosa layers; b, marked ulcerative colitis with moderate submucosal edema and inflammatory cell infiltration; c, moderate ulcerative colitis with moderate submucosal edema and inflammatory cell infiltration. E–H: “in vitro”IFN-γ and IL-17 production by isolated LPMC. Data represent cumulative mean±SE from 6 mice/group. Data were tested for statistical significance using one way analysis of variance with Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test.