FIGURE 4.

Subconjunctival injection of PKHB1 peptide increased the number of DCs on the ocular surface and in the dLNs. Representative micrographs and bar charts (A) of cells expressing CD11c (dendritic cell maker) in the central and peripheral corneas after different treatments (20 ×) (n = 5). (B) Detection of transcriptional levels of mouse corneal CD11c by qRT-PCR with GAPDH as an internal reference (n = 5). Representative flow cytometry plots and bar charts (C) showing the frequency of CD45⁺ CD11c⁺ MHC- II⁺ DCs in dLNs of PKHB1 peptide or PBS topically treated HSK mice at 3 d p.i. and 6 d p.i. (n = 3). PKHB1 peptide increased the number of DCs in the dLNs in the early stages of infection. Data were presented as mean ± SD of three independent experiments. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001)