Analyses of sulfatide-induced stimulation of the activation and expansion of type I iNKT cells.

<p>(<b>A</b>) C16:0 and C24:0 do not stimulate the activation of type I iNKT cells. At 2 h after female NOD mice (3–5 week-old, n = 5/group) were injected (i.p.) with vehicle (PBS), aGalCer (5 mg) or sulfatide (C16:0 or C24:0, 100 mg), their splenocytes were analyzed by FACS for the surface expression of the early activation surface marker CD69 on TCRβ⁺a-GalCer/CD1dTet⁺ iNKT cells. (<b>B</b>) C16:0 and C24:0 do not stimulate the expansion of type I iNKT cells. At 2 h, 4 h and 12 h after female NOD mice (3–5 week-old, n = 5/group) were injected (i.p.) with either control vehicle (PBS), aGalCer (4 mg) or sulfatide (C16:0 or C24:0, 100 mg), splenocytes were analyzed by FACS for the expansion of TCRb⁺a-GalCer/CD1dTet⁺ iNKT cells. Data shown in (<b>A</b>) and (<b>B</b>) were obtained from one of two representative and reproducible experiments.