FIG 5.

Reduced cytotoxicity of CD8⁺ T cells from Il17a^−/− mice. Seven- to 9-week-old WT (C57BL/6J) and Il17a^−/− mice were infected (i.p.) with WNV at 100 PFU for 10 days. (A) Purified splenic CD8⁺ T cells were cocultured with target (MC57GL_WNV-E) or control (MC57GL_vector) cells at a 50:1 effector/target ratio for 4 h, and cytotoxicity was assayed by measuring the release of intracellular lactate dehydrogenase in culture supernatants. (B to I) RFC in transcripts of perforin-1 (B and F), granzyme A (C and G), granzyme B (D and H), and FasL (E and I) in blood, spleen, liver, and brain (B to E) and splenic CD8⁺ T cells or CD8⁻ cells (F to I) from WT or Il17a^−/− mice measured by qPCR (normalized to cellular β-actin mRNA). (J and K) RFC in the expression of perforin-1 (J) and granzyme A (K) in the spleens of CHIKV-infected (10⁵ PFU i.p.) WT and Il17a^−/− mice was measured at 12 dpi by qPCR. The data (means and SEM) in panels A to I represent the results of three independent experiments (n = 3 mice/group); the data in panels J and K represent the results of two independent experiments (n = 3 mice/group). ns, no significant difference (P > 0.05).