Figure 3: Suppression of EAE by adoptive transfer of 2D2-IEL-T_HIGH cells.

(a) In total, 5.0 × 10⁵ WT spleen cells (control) and 2D2-IEL-T_HIGH or -T_LOW cells were transferred intraperitoneally (day −1), and EAE was induced on the following day (day 0). Clinical scores of EAE were assessed (mean and s.e.m.). (b) Representative H&E and LFB staining of spinal cords from control recipients (n=4) or 2D2-IEL-T_HIGH cell recipients (n=3) 3 weeks after EAE induction. Scale bars, 100 μm. (c) Representative flow cytometry analysis of 2D2-TCR (Vα3.2⁺Vβ11⁺) expression in CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cells obtained from the CNS of EAE mice after peak disease. (d) The total proportion (%) of 2D2-TCR⁺ cells among the CNS-infiltrating CD4⁺ T cells obtained from (c). Plots represent data from individual animals (mean and s.e.m.). Data in a,c and d were pooled from two experiments where 13 control, 9 2D2-IEL-T_LOW and 11 2D2-IEL-T_HIGH mice were induced for EAE. (e) When CNS cells were separated for analysis (d), spleen cells from the mice were also obtained, and proportions of Vα3.2⁺Vβ11⁺ 2D2 T cells in CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cells among these cells were analysed by FACS. Spleen cells from four mice were pooled from each group. Data are representative of two experiments. (f) In total, 2.0 × 10⁵ WT spleen cells (control) or CD4⁻ or CD4⁺2D2-IEL-T_HIGH cells were adoptively transferred intravenously (day −1) and EAE induced on the following day (day 0). Clinical scores of mice receiving control (n=13), CD4⁻2D2-IEL-T_HIGH (n=13) and CD4⁺2D2-IEL-T_HIGH (n=10) cells were pooled from two experiments (mean and s.e.m.). *P<0.05, **P<0.01 by two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni’s post-test. FACS, fluorescence-activated cell sorting; H&E, haematoxylin and eosin; LFB, Luxol fast blue.