Figure 3
The DQ-OVAlo dendritic cells (DCs) induce the asthmatic phenotype after adoptive transfer. (a) Experimental design. Briefly, GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophages colony-stimulating factor)-differentiated bone marrow (BM) cells were pulsed overnight with 1 μM DQ-OVA. The next day, DQ-OVAhi cells were separated from DQ-OVAlo cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting before adoptive transfer. One million DQ-OVAhi or DQ-OVAlo DCs were given intratracheally (IT) into BALB/c wild-type (wt) recipients. After 10 days, recipient mice were challenged IT with ovalbumin (OVA). Seventy-two hours after the injection, airway responsiveness was determined. Subsequently bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, lung cells, and tissues were collected for further analysis. (b) Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in response to IT administration of metacholine measured as airway resistance using Flexivent. (c) Total and differential cell counts in BAL fluid. (d) Histological examination of airway inflammation. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (original magnification × 200). (e) Histological examination of goblet cell hyperplasia. Sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff for mucus production (original magnification × 200). Mucus producing airways are plotted relative to all analyzed airways (right panel). (f) Cytokine profile of pulmonary cells harvested from mice 72 h after OVA challenge. Supernatants were collected 72 h after in vitro cell culture. Values shown are the mean±s.e.m.; n=9–10 per group, *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001. IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; Th, T helper; TNF, tumor-necrosis factor.
