Fig. 5: Knockout of TIGIT promotes inflammatory CD4+ T-cell responses during EAM induction. | Nature Communications

Fig. 5: Knockout of TIGIT promotes inflammatory CD4+ T-cell responses during EAM induction.

From: TIGIT deficiency promotes autoreactive CD4+ T-cell responses through a metabolic‒epigenetic mechanism in autoimmune myositis

Fig. 5

a Scheme for the induction of experimental autoimmune myositis (EAM) in Tigit−/−, Tigit+/−, or Tigit+/+ mice. Age- and sex-matched Tigit+/+ mice without EAM induction served as the Control group. b Muscle strength of Tigit−/−, Tigit+/−, or Tigit+/+ mice with EAM. c Representative spleen images and the spleen weight index calculated by dividing the spleen weight (mg) by the body weight (g). d, e IFNγ- and IL-17A-producing CD4+ T cells in the spleens of Tigit−/− or Tigit+/+ mice were measured by flow cytometry. Representative contour plots were shown (f, g) CD44 expression in CD4+ T cells in the spleens of Tigit−/− or Tigit+/+ mice was measured by flow cytometry. h Gene expression of Ifng, Il17a, Il17f, and Il2 in the quadriceps of Tigit−/− or Tigit+/+ mice was quantified by qPCR. i HE staining and histological score of quadriceps in Tigit−/− or Tigit+/+ mice with EAM.Original magnification: ×200. j, k TIGIT agonistic antibody (Anti-TIGIT) or an isotype control was used to treat EAM mice. j EAM was induced as described in a. EAM mice were injected intraperitoneally with anti-TIGIT (10 mg/kg/Q3d) or an isotype after the second immunization for 2 weeks (w). Age- and sex-matched C57BL/6 mice without EAM induction served as the Control group. k Muscle strength of the control mice and mice with EAM treated with anti-TIGIT or the isotype control. l Size of spleen and spleen weight. Spleen weight index was calculated and summarized in C. m–o IFNγ- and IL-17A-producing CD4+ T cells in the spleen were measured by flow cytometry. p, q HE staining and histological score of quadriceps sections from control mice and mice with EAM treated with anti-TIGIT or the isotype control. Original magnification: ×200. ND: not detective. b, c, e, h, i Tigit−/− (n = 11), Tigit+/− (n = 7), and Tigit+/+ (n = 10) biologically independent replicates, when applicable. g Tigit−/− (n = 7), and Tigit+/+ (n = 6) biologically independent replicates. k, l, n, o, q Control (n = 5), Isotype (n = 7), and Anti-TIGIT (n = 7) biological independent samples, when applicable. All data are presented as the mean ± SEM. Statistics were done by one-way ANOVA with adjustments for multiple comparisons in b, c, k, l, n, o, and two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test in e, g, h, i, q.

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