CAM expands the CD11b⁺Gr-1⁺ cell population via the STAT3-Bv8 axis.

<p>(A and B) Representative immunoblotting of Bv8 (A) and phosphorylated (p)-STAT3 (B). Beta-actin and total (t) STAT3 were used as loading controls. Relative band intensities ware quantified by densitometry. (C and D) Representative two-parameter dot plots of CD11b⁺Gr-1⁺ cells in the spleen (C) and lungs (D) sorted from mice intraperitoneally treated with vehicle or CAM (100 mg/day) daily for three consecutive days. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with an anti-Bv8 antibody (5 mg/kg) or control IgG at 4 days and 1 day before CAM treatment and daily for three consecutive days during CAM treatment (n = 4 per group). (E and F) Representative two-parameter dot plots of CD11b⁺Gr-1⁺ cells in the spleen (E) and lungs (F) sorted from poly(I:C)-treated <i>Stat3</i>^{<i>flox/flox</i>}/Mx1-Cre (<i>Stat3</i>^Δ<i>Mx1</i>) mice and control <i>Stat3</i>^{<i>flox/flox</i>} mice that were intraperitoneally treated with vehicle or CAM (100 mg/day) daily for three consecutive days (n = 4 per group). (G) Bv8 (<i>Prok2</i>) mRNA expression in CD11b⁺Gr-1⁺ cells sorted from <i>Stat3</i>^Δ<i>Mx1</i> mice and control <i>Stat3</i>^{<i>flox/flox</i>} mice (n = 4 per group). Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. ***<i>p</i> < 0.001 by the Mann–Whitney U-test.