Figure 3: Impaired IL-15 signalling results in accelerated colitis in immune-deficient hosts following CD4+ T-cell transfer.
From: IL-15-dependent balance between Foxp3 and RORγt expression impacts inflammatory bowel disease
(a) About 2 × 105 CD4+ T lymphocytes from B6 mice were transferred into RAG2ko or IL-15koRAG2ko mice killed 4 weeks later. (b) Body weight curve of recipient RAG2ko (grey line) and IL-15koRAG2ko mice (black line). (c) Representative images of colons from RAG2ko and IL-15koRAG2ko recipients (n>15 per group). (d) Histological scores (from 0—minimal to 5—severe) of microscopic changes in the colon of RAG2ko (white bars) and IL-15koRAG2ko mice (black bars) after transfer. Data compiled from three separate experiments with at least three mice per group. All graphs indicate means; error bars denote s.e.m.; Student’s t-test values: **0.01<P<0.05, ***P<0.001. (e) Upper and middle panels: haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of colons from RAG2ko and IL-15koRAG2ko mice (n=6 per group) before (left panel) and after CD4+ T-cell transfer (right panel) Bottom panel: immunostaining for CD4+ T cells. Original magnification: upper panel × 4 (scale bar, 250 μm), middle and bottom panels × 10 (scale bar, 100 μm).
