Meningeal pathology and kinetics of the CNS inflammatory response during ECM.

(A) Representative confocal images of a meningeal whole mount from a naïve and d6 p.i. mouse following i.v. injection of Evans blue (white) (n = 4 mice per group). Evans blue and TER119⁺ red blood cells (red) leak from CD31⁺ vessels (green) into the meningeal space at d6 p.i. (B and C) Flow cytometric quantification of CD8⁺ T cells (CD45⁺Thy1.2⁺CD8⁺), CD4⁺ T cells (CD45⁺Thy1.2⁺CD8^-), monocytes / macrophages (CD45⁺Thy1.2^-CD11b⁺Ly6C⁺Ly6G^-), and neutrophils (CD45⁺Thy1.2^-CD11b⁺Ly6G⁺) in the brain (B) and meninges (C) of naïve, d5 p.i., and d6 p.i. mice. Bar graphs show mean ± SD (n = 5 mice per group). Data are representative of five independent experiments. (D) Representative flow cytometric dot plots show the frequency of D^b-SQLLNAKYL-specific CD8⁺ T cells (red boxes and adjacent numbers) in the spleen, brain, and meninges naïve, d5 p.i., and d6 p.i. mice. Plots are gated on live CD45⁺ Thy1.2⁺ CD8⁺ cells. (E) Quantification of the data shown in (D). Bar graphs show mean ± SD (n = 5 mice per group). Data are representative of two independent experiments. Asterisks denote statistical significance (*P < 0.05).