Fig. 2

Effect of CTB on cytokine expression in the ischemic brain after MCAO. a The level of IL-1β in the sham ischemic hemisphere of the CTB-sham group was not significantly different from that of the sham group. CTB dose-dependently downregulated the levels of IL-1β in the ischemic brain at 24 h after ischemia. b The level of TNF-α in the sham ischemic hemisphere of the CTB-sham group was not significantly different from that of the sham group. CTB dose-dependently downregulated the levels of TNF-α in the ischemic brain at 24 h after ischemia. c The levels of IL-17 in the sham ischemic hemisphere of the CTB-sham group at 24 and 72 h after ischemia were not significantly different from those of the sham group at 24 and 72 h after ischemia, respectively. CTB dose-dependently downregulated the levels of IL-17 in the ischemic brain both at 24 and 72 h after ischemia. d The levels of IL-10 in the sham ischemic hemisphere of the CTB-sham group at 24 and 72 h after ischemia were not significantly different from those of the sham group at 24 and 72 h after ischemia, respectively. CTB did not affect the levels of IL-10 at 24 h after ischemia, while it dose-dependently upregulated the levels of IL-10 at 72 h after ischemia. Anti-CD25 pretreatment had no impact on the levels of IL-10 at 24 h, while it attenuated the up-regulations of IL-10 at 72 h after ischemia, both in the CTB-L group and CTB-H group. e The levels of TGF-β in the sham ischemic hemisphere of the CTB-sham group at 24 and 72 h after ischemia were not significantly different from those of the sham group at 24 and 72 h after ischemia, respectively. CTB did not affect the levels of TGF-β at 24 h after ischemia, while it dose-dependently upregulated the levels of TGF-β at 72 h after ischemia. Anti-CD25 pretreatment had no impact on the levels of TGF-β at 24 h, while it attenuated the up-regulations of TGF-β at 72 h after ischemia, both in the CTB-L group and CTB-H group. Bars represent mean ± SD (n = 8); *p < 0.05 vs MCAO group, and #p < 0.05 vs CTB-L group