Fig. 1

Effects of global D1r or D2r ablation on differentiation and function of CD4⁺ T cells in CIA mice. A Protein expression of D1R and D2R in ankle joints and spleen of mice. The left panel indicates Western blotting bands and the right panel is densitometric data normalized to β-actin (n = 5/group). B Flow cytometric assay of the CD4⁺ T cell subsets, CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺ (Th1) cells, CD4⁺IL-4⁺ (Th2) cells, CD4⁺IL-17⁺ (Th17) cells, and CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ (Treg) cells. Representative images of the flow cytometric assay are exhibited in the left panel and quantitative data showing percentages of the CD4⁺ T cell subsets in total CD4⁺ T cells are indicated in the right panel (n = 5/group). C Protein expression of the specific transcription factors T-bet, GATA-3, ROR-γt and Foxp3 for Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells, respectively, in ankle joints. Representative Western blotting bands are exhibited in the left panel and densitometric data normalized to β-actin are indicated in the right panel (n = 5/group). D-G Contents of the cytokines IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17A and TGF-β1 in ankle joints measured by ELISA. n = 6/group. **P < 0.01, versus control or WT mice; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01, versus WT CIA mice