Fig. 7: PKM2 activator treatment redirects T_H17 cells to adopt an encephalitogenic program.

(A) Schematic showing the stimulation of splenocytes from 2D2 mice and passive EAE induction. (B) Flow cytometry analysis of IL-17A and GM-CSF production by TCRβ⁺CD4⁺ cells on the day of splenocyte transfer. *p<0.05 by repeated measures one-way ANOVA with Tukey post test. (C) EAE phenotypes observed at day 16 post transfer of splenocytes treated with TEPP-46 (50μM) or vehicle (DMSO). Data shown are from n=19 DMSO- and n=24 TEPP-46-treated Rag1^−/− mice that received 2D2 cells, pooled from four independent experiments. (D) Flow cytometry analysis of MHC-II and Ly6G expression on myeloid cells (defined as live, singlet, CD45^hiCD11b⁺ cells) isolated from the indicated parts of the CNS of Rag1^−/− mice receiving DMSO- or TEPP-46-treated cells. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM from n=10–12 mice per group pooled from N=2 independent experiments. Two-tailed Welch’s t-test. *p<0.05. (E) Representative images (left panels) of anti-CD45 staining in the periventricular brain regions from recipients of DMSO- or TEPP-46-treated splenocytes and quantification (right panel) or mice presenting with perivascular infiltrates. Data are compiled from two independent experiments with a total of 6 mice. Scale bar is 400 μm.