MBL treatment blunts macrophage M2b polarization and alleviates lupus nephritis.

<p>BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with ALD-DNA (50 µg/mouse) or PBS for total 3 times in 4 weeks. Mice immunized with ALD-DNA were pre-treated intramuscularly with pMBL (100 µg/mice) or pcDNA3.1 (100 µg/mice), and injected every 2 weeks for total 5 times. (A) mRNA levels of TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-6 and IL-10 in renal macrophages purified from mice were evaluated by real-time PCR. Data are means ± SD of three independent experiments. **<i>p</i><0.01; ***<i>p</i><0.001. n = 6. (B) Levels of TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-6 and IL-10 in serum were detected by ELISA assay. ***<i>p</i><0.001. n = 6. (C) Serum anti-dsDNA IgG levels of the mice were measured by ELISA assay every 2 weeks. **<i>p</i><0.01; ***<i>p</i><0.001. (D) Urine protein levels of the mice were assessed by BCA Protein Assay Kit every 2 weeks. **<i>p</i><0.01; ***<i>p</i><0.001. (E) The deposition of IgG-containing IC in glomeruli at week 12 after initial immunization. Imagines (×200) are representative of 10 mice in each group. (F) Mean glomerular fluorescence intensity (arbitrary units) was determined for IgG in ALD-DNA immunized lupus mice and control mice at week 12 after initial immunization. n = 10. ***<i>p</i><0.001. (G) 12 weeks after initial immunization, nephritic pathological changes were shown by H&E staining of renal tissues surgical resected from the mice. Imagines (×200) are representative of 10 mice in each group. (H) The kidney score was assessed using paraffin sections stained with H&E. n = 10. ***<i>p</i><0.001.