Fig. 1

Experimental design diagram: Generation of BM-derived DCs with GM-CSF in presence or absence of CSE during 10 days. The cultures were re-cultured with fresh medium containing GM-CSF (20 ng/ml) at days 0, 3, 6 and 8. a In order to investigate the acute effects of CSE on the full maturation of DCs, cells were incubated with CSE (0.05–1.5 %) or LPS (0.01–1 μg/ml, as positive control) for the final 24 h of culture period or the next 18 h after the culture period. b To evaluate the prolonged immune modulatory effect of CSE on DCs differentiation process, BM cells were cultured in the presence or absence of CSE (0–1.5 %) or LPS (0.01–1 μg/ml) from day 0 for 10 days. c To investigate timing effect of CS exposure in the differentiation of BM precursors to DCs, cells were co-cultured with CSE (1.5 %) or LPS (100 ng/ml) at various time points of culture from day 3 or day 6 for 7 or 4 days in parallel experiments. *Indicate administration of CSE or LPS