Fig. 4

Increased expression of Cxs in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). a – Representative flow cytometry plots for Cx40 and Cx43 expression levels on gated single-positive CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T lymphocyte populations in the peripheral blood from 20 SHRs and 20 Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Fresh, resting PBMCs from SHRs and WKY rats underwent surface staining with antibodies against CD3, CD4 and CD8 molecules. After surface staining, the cells were fixed, permeabilized and stained with unlabeled anti-Cx40 or anti-Cx43 plus FITC-labeled secondary antibodies. Based on the CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ gate, the cells were further gated based on Cx40 and Cx43 expression levels, and the frequency of CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cells expressing Cx40 and Cx43 was determined. b – Bar graph of the percentage of the CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T-cell population expressing Cx40 and Cx43. Both Cx40 and Cx43 expression levels are significantly increased in CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cells of SHRs compared with those of WKY rats. Values are means ± SEM. **p < 0.01, compared with WKY rats (n = 20)