Atorvastatin Improves Inflammatory Response in Atherosclerosis by Upregulating the Expression of GARP

Figure 2

Atorvastatin upregulated the proportion of CD4+LAP+ and CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs in ApoE splenic lymphocytes and enhanced immunosuppressive function of Tregs; however, GARP-siRNA induced apoptosis of Tregs and regulated the immunosuppressive function of Tregs. (a) A percentage of LAP+ and GARP+ cells were determined by surface staining of GARP and LAP after gating on the anti-CD3/CD28 stimulated splenic CD4+ T cells derived from scrambled group (scrambled), oral atorvastatin + scrambled group (O.A. + scrambled), and oral atorvastatin + GARP-siRNA group (O.A. + GARP-siRNA). Data were from 6 mice per group () and were independently confirmed, all , , and . (b) A percentage of Foxp3+ and GARP+ cells were determined by surface staining of GARP and Foxp3 after gating on the anti-CD3/CD28 stimulated splenic CD4+ T cells derived from scrambled group (scrambled), oral atorvastatin + scrambled group (O.A. + scrambled), and oral atorvastatin + GARP-siRNA group (O.A. + GARP-siRNA). Data were from 6 mice per group () and were independently confirmed, all , , and . (c) Apoptosis analysis for scrambled siRNA or GARP-siRNA treated CD4+CD25+ Tregs. The percentage of annexin V+ cells in each groups was showed in histograms, repeated times . (d) Comparisons of Tregs sorted from different treated groups (scrambled, atorvastatin + scrambled or atorvastatin + GARP-siRNA cocultured splenic lymphocytes) against CD4+CD25− T-effector proliferation were shown in bar graphs, repeated times , all , , and .

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