Figure 4.
In situ TUNEL staining and histological examination of thymi from mice after CLP. Thymi were harvested from mice 24 h after CLP, and tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), or by 3′ end labeling of apoptotic nuclei (TUNEL) staining as described in Materials and Methods. Increased numbers of cells undergoing apoptosis were seen in mice after CLP. Mice pretreated intrathymically with 105 particles of Adv/empty had similar numbers of apoptotic cells, as determined by TUNEL staining. In mice pretreated with 105 particles of Adv/hIL-10, there was a marked reduction in the numbers of apoptotic cells. In the hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections (see Insets for greater detail), apoptotic cells (fragmented and pyknotic) were seen primarily in the thymus of untreated mice and mice pretreated with Adv/empty. [Magnification: ×100 and ×1,000 for Insets].)