Figure 4: Genetic deletion of ILC2 exacerbates atherosclerosis in Ldlr^−/− mice.

During bone marrow transplant, ILC2^Thy1.1 fully restore Spleen MLN and GWAT resident compartments in Thy1.2⁺ mice (a). Irradiated Ldlr^−/− mice received bone marrow from Staggerer/Rorα^Flox -CD127^Cre (ILC2^KO) or Staggerer/Rorα⁺ -CD127^Cre (ILC2^WT) donor mice before being maintained on HFD for 8 weeks (b). Intra-peritoneal injections of IL-33 24 h before organ collection demonstrated recipients of ILC2^KO BM had decreased Lin⁻ ICOS⁺ Sca1⁺ ST2⁺ILC2 in bone marrow and Lin⁻ ICOS⁺ CD25⁺ in peripheral MLN compared to ILC2^WT recipients. Serum levels of IL-5 and IL-13 were also decreased (c), as was expression of IL-5 and IL-13 transcripts in aorta and PaAT (d). Oil Red O quantified atherosclerotic lesions at the aortic arch and aortic sinus (e and f respectively, representative images shown) indicated increased plaque size (all surface of intimal lesion is taken into account) in ILC2^KO recipients compared to ILC2^WT controls for both sites. Graph data points represent individual mice and statistical significance was determined by Mann–Whitney U-test. Scale bars: 270 μm.