Erythromycin Enhances Regulatory T-Cell Responses in a Rat Model of Smoke-Induced Lung Inflammation
Figure 4
Treatment with erythromycin modulates the frequency and the number of Treg and Foxp3 transcription in the lungs of rats. The frequency of Tregs, the number of Tregs (b), and the relative levels of Foxp3 mRNA transcripts to β-actin in the lungs (c) were analyzed by flow cytometry (a) and RT-PCR, respectively. The isolated lung cells were stained with anti-CD4 and anti-Foxp3 and subjected to flow cytometry analysis. Data are expressed as mean numbers of individual samples and mean values (lines) of each group or the mean ± SD of the relative levels of Foxp3 mRNA transcripts of each group ( per group) of rats from three separate experiments. Group N: rats exposed to regular air without any special treatment; Group C: rats exposed to regular air and were treated with erythromycin; Group S: rats exposed to smoking air and were treated with saline; and Group E: rats exposed to smoking air and were treated with erythromycin daily for nine weeks beginning at the forth weeks smoking. *, **.
