Structure-function analyses of sulfatides.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Structures of the C16:0, C24:0 and C24:1 sulfatide isoforms. (<b>B</b>) Treatment with sulfatide reduces the incidence of spontaneous T1D in NOD mice. Female NOD wild type (CD1d^+/+) mice (12 week-old, n = 10–12/group) were injected once weekly for 3 weeks with 20 mg of either sulfatide, GM1 or PBS-vehicle until 15 weeks of age. The P value between the values in the control (PBS/vehicle or mGM1) versus sulfatide group was <0.0001. The occurrence of spontaneous T1D was followed for up to 30–34 weeks of age by measuring BGL. Two consecutive BGL readings of >250 mg/dl was considered diabetic. These data are representative of 4 independent experiments. (<b>C</b>) Treatment of NOD mice with C24:0 but not C16:0 sulfatide reduces the lymphocyte-mediated adoptive transfer of T1D. Female NOD mice (3–5 week-old, n = 10/group) were injected i.p. with either control vehicle (PBS), aGalCer (4 mg/dose) or sulfatide (C16:0 or C24:0, 100 mg/dose) on day 0 and day 4. Pooled splenocytes and PLN lymphocytes (2×10⁷) were transferred to female NOD.<i>Scid</i> recipients, and the recipient mice were monitored until 24 weeks of age for the development of T1D by determining their BGL. Results shown are representative of 3 independent and reproducible experiments.