Expression data from murine intestinal tissue upon depletion of regulatory T cells

Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a pivotal role in modulating immune responses and were shown to decrease atherosclerosis in murine models. How this effect is brought about remains elusive. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression in intestinal tissue from chimeric DEREG x Ldlr-/- mice +/- diphteria toxin enabling selective depletion of Treg. Chimeric DEREG x Ldlr-/- mice were kept on a high fat diet for 8 weeks and treated with DT or PBS i.p. for 8 weeks. Upon harvest, intestinal tissue was ascertained from animals from both groups and a gene array was performed.