Fig. 7. Adoptive transfer of CD69⁺ Tregs inhibits the disease progression in a mouse model of T-cell transfer-induced colitis.

Spleen cells from Foxp3^GFP knock-in mice were enriched for CD4⁺ T-cells and then stained with anti-CD4 and anti-CD45RB monoclonal antibodies. Then CD4⁺Foxp3⁻CD45RB^hi T-cells were sorted and injected i.v into immunodeficient Rag1^−/− mice. Groups of mice were injected i.v with CD4⁺Foxp3⁺CD69⁺ Tregs and CD4⁺Foxp3⁺CD69⁻ Tregs from Foxp3^GFP knock-in mice (1 × 10⁶/mouse/injection) on days 21 (n = 7). a The body weights were measured for 9 weeks. Each point represents average weight data pooled from 7 mice ± SD. b Histological appearance 9 weeks after colitis induction. Representative colonic sections stained with H&E (Magnification: 40× and 200×). c, d Lamina propria mononuclear cells were isolated from colon of Rag1^−/− mice 8 weeks after the transfer of CD69⁺ Tregs and CD69⁻Tregs. The frequency Th1 and Th17 was detected by flow cytometry. Date are representative images or expressed as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments (n = 7 per group). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, analyzed by ANOVA and Student’s t-test