To examine the effect of OX40 and 4-1BB activation on FoxP3 expression, CD4+FoxP3/gfp+ Tregs were cultured in vitro with IL-2, or TNF/IL-2 with or without agonistic Abs for OX40 or 4-1BB. After 3-day culture, the levels of FoxP3 expression on a per cell basis (MFI) on

Tregs was increased by ∼two-fold after TNF/IL-2 treatment, as compared with IL-2 treatment alone (p<0.001, Fig. 4D). Importantly, the TNF/IL-2-induced enhancement of FoxP3 expression in Tregs was preserved and even modestly increased by treatment with the 4-1BB agonistic Ab (p<0.05, Fig. 4D). However, in our experimental system, the agonistic Abs for OX40 and 4-1BB did not further enhance TNFR2 expression on Tregs (data PF-01367338 in vitro not shown), suggesting that the effect of TNF on the up-regulation of co-stimulatory TNFRSFs was unidirectional. Next, the suppressive capability of Tregs expanded by the combination of TNF and anti-4-1BB Ab or anti-OX40 Ab was investigated. Consistent with our previous report 3, the suppressive activity of Tregs pre-treated with TNF/IL-2 on the proliferation by Teffs was markedly enhanced (Fig. 4E). Moreover, Tregs pre-treated with TNF/IL-2 in combination with anti-4-1BB Ab or anti-OX40 Ab retained and, in the case of anti-4-1BB Ab, could enhance their potent suppressive potential, as compared with Tregs pre-treated with TNF/IL-2 (medium) alone (p<0.05, Fig. 4F and G). Our data therefore indicate that up-regulation of 4-1BB and OX40 by

TNF/IL-2 on Tregs could further promote their proliferation, Selleckchem Proteasome inhibitor while preserving or even enhancing their potent suppressive activity. It has been reported that LPS was able to activate and expand Tregs by interacting with TLR4 expressed on their surface 23. Since LPS is a potent inducer of TNF 24, we hypothesized that TNF produced in response to LPS challenge may also contribute to the LPS-induced expansion of Tregs. The results showed that in vivo injection of LPS resulted in ∼two-fold and >three-fold increase in the proportion of FoxP3+ cells in the splenic CD4+

subsets by 24 and 72 h after injection, respectively (Fig. 5A). Similarly, the proportion of FoxP3+ cells present in the draining mesenteric LN CD4+ subset following intraperitoneal LPS injection was Selleckchem Nutlin-3 also increased from 8.54% in control mice to 14.24% (Fig. 5B). The expansion of Tregs in the CD4+ subset persisted until day 5 (data not shown). Moreover, the surface expression levels of TNFR2, 4-1BB and OX40 were markedly preferentially increased by 6 h on Tregs (Fig. 5C). The up-regulation of these TNFRSF members on Tregs was transient, with a peak expression at 24 h for both TNFR2 and OX40, and 6 h for 4-1BB respectively (Fig. 5C). Thus, our data show that in vivo administration of LPS also results in the activation and proliferation of Tregs. To confirm the role of TNF in the expansion of splenic Tregs, a neutralizing Ab against mouse TNF was injected 24 h and 1 h before LPS challenge.