Distinct glucocorticoid sensitivities of immature and mature DCs in murine spleen. (A) Triple immunostaining shows caspase 3 activation in DCs on spleen sections in control (CON) and DEX (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, 24 hours) treated animals. Immature DCs (white arrows) in mouse spleen sections were CD11c⁺MHC II^−/low whereas mature DCs (red arrows) were CD11c⁺MHC II^high. CD11c, MHC II, and activated caspase 3 signals were indicated in green, red, and blue, respectively. Sections from control animals showed few cells with activated caspase 3 staining. Bright field images of hematoxylin and eosin stained sections indicate the cell numbers. Scale bar, 20 μm. (B) Percentages (± SD) of caspase 3⁺ cells were compared between CON and DEX. Approximately 150 to 600 cells per animal (n = 6 per group) were counted across 3 to 12 sections (*significantly greater than CON; P < .0001, Student t test).