Fig. 7: PD-1 inhibitory activity is unleashed in the absence of Chat in T cells in HCC.
From: Tumor-specific cholinergic CD4+ T lymphocytes guide immunosurveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma
a,b, Representative flow cytometry histogram overlay plot (a) and quantification of the percentages of Foxp3–CD4+ Tconv cells expressing PD-1 (b) in HCC-bearing livers from Chatfl/fl and Chatfl/fl; Cd4-cre mice. Each dot represents an individual mouse (n = 8 Chatfl/fl mice and n = 9 Chatfl/fl; Cd4-cre mice). Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. The P value was determined by unpaired, two-tailed t-test. c, Correlation of PD-1 expression in Tconv cells with HCC grade in Chatfl/fl and Chatfl/fl; Cd4-cre mice. HCC grade is represented by the ratio of liver weight to body weight. P values were determined by two-tailed Pearson correlation. d, Experimental protocol used for PD-1 blockade in vivo in Chatfl/fl and Chatfl/fl; Cd4-cre mice subjected to standard HCC induction. e,f, Representative low-magnification histological images of H&E-stained sections (e) and quantification of numbers of tumor nodules per mm2 in these sections (f) of livers from Chatfl/fl and Chatfl/fl; Cd4-cre mice treated as in d. In f, each dot represents an individual mouse (n = 12 mice in the Chatfl/fl + IgG group, n = 10 mice in the Chatfl/fl + anti-PD-1 and Chatfl/fl; Cd4-cre + IgG groups, and n = 11 mice in the Chatfl/fl + anit-PD-1 group). Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. P values were determined by two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test.
