Changes of macrophage and CD4⁺ T cell in inflammatory response in type 1 diabetic mice

Immune cells play an important role in the development of inflammation in type 1 diabetes mellitus, so we want to explore the changes of CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages in vivo, which can provide an experimental basis for immunotherapy based on CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages. The intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin was used to induce a type 1 diabetes mellitus mouse model; the blood glucose, body weight, and the expression of inflammatory factors in the kidney were measured. Immunohistochemistry was applied to determine and analyze the infiltration of CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages in the spleen, pancreas, and kidney. The subtypes of macrophages in the kidney and CD4⁺ T cells in the spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry. Our study suggests that CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages increase, while the inflammatory immune response system is activated in the development of T1DM. CD4⁺ T cells positively correlated with macrophages in the pancreas and kidney of T1DM. CD4⁺ T cells turn to pro-inflammatory subtypes in the spleen of T1DM, while macrophages turn to pro-inflammatory subtypes in the kidney of T1DM. Therefore, regulation of CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages may be a potential target for T1DM and kidney complications.