Results were presented as Stimulation Index according to the formula: SI = (MLR well optical density (OD) – blank well OD)/(T cell alone well OD – blank well OD). The optical density was measured at 490 nm. Cytokine secretion.  The levels of cytokines IL-10 and IFN-γ in cell culture supernatants and IL-2, IFN-γ

in recipient rats serum were detected by ELISA kits (R& D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA) as described before [17], according to the manufacturer’s protocols. Standard curve was generated for each assay. Renal Selleck LDK378 transplantation.  Renal transplantation was performed as previously described [18]. Lewis recipient rats were administered an intravenous injection of 1 × 107 syngeneic Adv-IKK2dn-DC, AdV-0-DC or uninfected immature DC 7 days before allotransplantation. The Adv-IKK2dn-DC-treated third part donators (Wistar rats) group was served as control. Graft survival was monitored daily by abdominal palpation, and rejection was confirmed by histological examination. Statistical analysis.  Data are presented

as mean ± SD and were analysed by general linear model anova. Survival curves were established by the Kaplan–Meier method. Graft survival between groups of transplanted animals was analysed with a log-rank test. And values of P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. To investigate the transfection efficiency of DC by adenovirus, DC were infected with AdV-IKK2dn at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 MOI. At day 9, the infection was monitored by GFP expression (Fig. 1A). At 200 and 100 MOI infections, almost all of DC were signaling pathway GFP positive. At 50 MOI, the GFP-positive cell percentage was approximately 96%. At 25 and 10 MOI

infection, the GFP-positive percentages were lower, approximately 62% and 33% individually (Fig. 1A). However, a high percentage of cell death was found in 200-MOI-infected DC, as demonstrated by MTT assay (85% cell death). Therefore, it is indicated that blocking NF-κB by IKK2dn could cause cellular damage in DC. Cell death rate was lower in 100-MOI-infected DC (45% cell death); the cell death rate was markedly reduced at 50 MOI (18% cell death). Meanwhile, the percentages of cell death at 25 and 10 MOI were much lower (Fig. 1B). The infection Megestrol Acetate rate and live cell percentages in WT virus (Adv-0) infection are similar to those in Adv-IKK2dn infection at different MOIs (Fig. 1B). These results suggested that 50 MOI Adv-IKK2dn infection may be a suitable dose. To further confirm the infection, we detected the IKK2dn expression by RT-PCR in Adv-IKK2dn and Adv-0-infected DC (Fig. 1C, lines 1 and 2). The PCR results were run on gel, the expression of GAPDH in Adv-IKK2 and Adv-0 infected DC (Fig. 1c, lines 3 and 4) was used as control. A specific 1060-kb band was detected in Adv-IKK2dn-infected DC, but no signal was detected in the same molecular weight in control Adv (AdV-0)-infected DC (Fig. 1C, lines 1 and 2).