Effect of dexamethasone palmitate on macrophages in mice with fatal GVHD.

<p><b>A:</b> Clinical assessment of GVHD after DP or DSP treatment. Mice were treated with DP or DSP (10 mg/kg/each day) on day 7 and day14 after co-transplantation of TCD-BM and spleen-derived T lymphocytes (control: n = 9, DSP: n = 9, DP: n = 10). Clinical GVHD was assessed 3 times a week, using a scoring system consisting of 5 clinical parameters: weight loss, posture, activity, fur texture, and skin integrity (maximum index = 10, left panel). Statistical significance: *<i>P</i><0.05 (days 19 and 24). Mortalities were counted daily for up to 42 days after transplantation (right panel). Statistical significance: **<i>P</i><0.01 (PBS-treated versus DP-treated). <b>B:</b> Pathological assessment of GVHD after DP or DSP treatment. Skin (left panels) and gut (right panels) specimens were stained with H&E (top panels) and skin macrophages were detected with the anti-mouse F4/80 monoclonal antibody (bottom panels). Original magnification, ×400. Representative images of the skin of three mice are shown. Skin and gut GVHD were scored based on five parameters (epidermal damage, alteration of dermis, degree of inflammation, alteration of subcutaneous fat and number of follicles) and seven parameters (crypt regeneration, crypt epithelial cell apoptosis, crypt loss, surface colonocyte vacuolization, surface colonocyte attenuation, lamina propria inflammatory cell infiltrate and mucosal ulceration), respectively, and are presented as histograms. Statistical significance: *<i>P</i><0.05.