Figure 7: DHHC21 deficiency attenuates leucocyte-endothelial adhesion during inflammation.

(a) Representative images of intravital microscopic analyses of microvessels in mouse ears during burn or LPS challenge. Scale bars, 50 μm. Solid arrowheads point to adherent leucocytes; open arrowheads point to slow-rolling leucocytes. (b) Quantification of leucocyte slow-rolling flux, slow-rolling fraction, rolling velocity and adhesion in Zdhhc21^+/+and Zdhhc21^dep/dep mice 4 h postburn or LPS. Results represent mean±s.e.m. from six mice. *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001. (c,d) Comparative analysis of the leucocyte adhesion in endothelial versus leucocytic Zdhhc21^dep/dep using a chimeric approach. Leucocytes were isolated from either Zdhhc21^+/+ or Zdhhc21^dep/dep and then applied to endothelial cells from either Zdhhc21^+/+ or Zdhhc21^dep/dep and stimulated with IL-1β (100 ng ml⁻¹, 4 h). (c) Representative confocal images of adherent leucocytes. Embedded images show leucocyte channel alone. Nuclei were stained with DAPI. Scale bars, 100 μm. (d) Quantification of adherent leucocytes shows that endothelial cells from Zdhhc21^dep/dep displayed marked resistance to leukocyte adhesion, whereas leucocytes from these mice did not show altered adhesiveness. Results present mean±s.e.m. from three independent experiments. ***P<0.001 versus unstimulated. ^#P<0.05 versus IL-1β+Zdhhc21^+/+ EC+Zdhhc21^+/+ leukocyte.