Fig. 8: NFAT5 silencing inhibited high-salt-mediated M-MDSC differentiation and functional transformation.

a, b Purified tumour M-MDSCs were transfected with NFAT5-specific siRNA and cultured in the absence or presence of an additional 40 mM NaCl for 3 days. Populations of CD11b⁺F4/80⁺ cells were tested by flow cytometry. c, d Purified tumour M-MDSCs were transfected with NFAT5-specific siRNA for 2 days and cultured in the absence or presence of an additional 40 mM NaCl for 24 h. The expression of IL-12, TNF-α and IL-10 in the supernatant was determined by ELISA. NOS2 and Arg1 mRNA expression levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR. e–g p-JNK was analysed by western blotting; quantification data of western blotting and NF-κB activity were determined by the p65 subunit DNA-binding ability. h NFAT5 expression was analysed by western blotting. Right panels: quantification data. For all panels, *p < 0.05 and ***p < 0.001. Bars are expressed as the means ± SEM of three independent replicates with isolated pooled cells. These experiments were repeated three times and were replicated with similar results; n = 5 mice; one-way ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni correction. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.