Fig. 3.

Augmentation of T cell infiltration and activation of microglia during EAE by oligodendroglia-specific Cx47 ablation. (A, B, D, and E) Immunohistochemical staining of lumbar spinal cords (counterstained with DAPI) from Cx47 fl/fl (Upper) and Cx47 icKO (Lower) mice at the (A and D) acute (dpi 17) and (B and E) chronic (dpi 50) phases of EAE. Immunostaining of (A and B) CD3⁺ T cells and (D and E) Iba-1⁺ microglia is shown. (Scale bars: Left, 100 µm; Right, 10 µm.) (C and F) Quantitative analysis of (C) CD3⁺ T cells and (F) Iba-1⁺ microglia in the ventral and dorsal funiculi of lumbar spinal cords from Cx47 icKO and Cx47 fl/fl mice at dpi 17 and dpi 50. Open circle and filled circle in C and F indicate fl/fl and icKO, respectively. (G–K) Bar graphs showing the percentages of (G) CD4⁺ T, and (H) Treg, (I) Th1, (J) Th17, and (K) Th17/Th1 cells in CD4⁺ T cells isolated from Cx47 fl/fl and Cx47 icKO mouse CNS tissues by flow cytometry. All data are shown as means ± SEM of four to seven mice per group. Significant differences were determined by an unpaired t test. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; n.s., not significant.