Figure 5From: Altered balance of interleukin-13/interferon-gamma contributes to lacrimal gland destruction and secretory dysfunction in CD25 knockout model of Sjögren’s syndrome Comparison of apoptosis among different double knockouts. (A) Representative merged images of laser scanning immunofluorescent confocal micrographs of LG immunostained for IFN-γ receptor (IFN-γR, green) with propidium idodide counterstaining (red) in IL-17KO, CD25KO, CD25/IL-17 DKO, CD25/IL-17/IFN-γ TKO, IL-17/IFN-γ DKO and C57BL/6. Scale bar = 50 μm. (B-C) Relative fold of expression of Fas-L and TRAIL (B) and caspase-3, -8 and -9 (C) in LG lysates of IL-17KO, CD25/IL-17 DKO and CD25KO mice aged 4 to 8 weeks (W). Data are presented as mean ± SEM of eight individual samples/strains/ages. (D) Caspase-3, -8 and -9 activity assay results from LG lysates of IL-17KO, CD25/IL-17 DKO, CD25KO and CD25/IFN-γ DKO mice aged 4 to 8 W. Data are presented as mean ± SEM of five to eight individual samples/strains/ages. (E) Representative merged images of laser scanning fluorescent confocal micrographs of TUNEL-stained LG (green) with propidium iodide counterstaining (red) in IL-17KO, CD25KO, CD25/IL-17 DKO, CD25/IL-17/IFN-γ TKO, IL-17/IFN-γ DKO, C57BL/6 and CD25/IFN-γ DKO mice used to generate the bar graphs in (F) Scale bar = 50 μm. F. TUNEL+ cells (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) among the different groups. * P <0.05; ** P <0.01, *** P <0.001; **** P <0.0001 within strain comparison vs. 4 W. ^ P <0.05; ^^ P <0.01, ^^^ P <0.001; ^^^^ P <0.0001 interstrain comparison. CD25/IFN-γ DKO, CD25−/−IFN-γ−/−; CD25/IL-17/IFN-γ TKO, CD25−/−IL-17−/−IFN-γ−/−; CD25KO, CD25 knockout; DKO, double knockout; Fas-L, Fas-ligand; IFN-γ, interferon-gamma; IL-17/IFN-γ DKO, CD25+/−IL-17−/−IFN-γ−/−; IL, interleukin; IL-17KO, IL-17 knockout; LG, lacrimal gland; SEM, standard error of the mean; TKO, triple knockout; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; TRAIL, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand; TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling; W, weeks.Back to article page