Figure 6

Lack of T cell-specific α7nAChR signaling does not influence severity of T cell transfer induced colitis. Rag1^−/− mice were adoptively transferred with naïve CD4 T cells isolated respectively from α7nAChR^+/+ or α7nAChR^−/− mice. (A) Body weight loss was followed over time in Rag1^−/− mice injected with α7nAChR^+/+ naïve T cells (α7nAChR^+/+→Rag1, gray) and in Rag1^−/− mice injected with α7nAChR^−/− naïve T cells (α7nAChR^−/−→Rag1, black). Statistical significance was determined using a multivariate linear model after a post-hoc Bonferroni-Holm correction for body weight changes and stool consistency score (ns, not significant). (B) Ten weeks after T cells transfer, colon length and spleen weight were measured in α7nAChR^+/+→Rag1 and α7nAChR^−/−→Rag1 mice. (C) Inflammatory gene expression was quantified via q-PCR in colonic tissue. tnfa, il6, il1a, tbet, infg, rorc and il17a mRNAs were analyzed. Gene expression levels are shown relative to rpl32 mRNA expression. The frequencies of Th cells isolated from the colonic lamina propria were determined by flow cytometry. Gates were set on CD4⁺ cells. (D) Frequencies of Th cell subsets (IFN-γ⁺IL-17A^-, IFN-γ⁺IL-17A⁺, IFN-γ^-IL-17A⁺) and Tregs (CD25⁺FoxP3⁺). Dots represent individual mice. In addition, data are shown as mean ± SEM. Data are representative of 3 independent experiments. Statistical significance was determined with the unpaired Student t-test (ns, not significant) for colon length, spleen weight, gene expression level and flow cytometry analysis.