Blocking CLEC-1 Fc fusion protein enhances rat BMDC-mediated Th17-cell activation. (A) BMDCs from naïve rats were incubated for 4 days in MLR with allogeneic purified CD4⁺ T cells, together with CLEC-1 Fc or irrelevant hSEAP-Fc fusion proteins (produced and purified under the same conditions) (10 μg/mL). (i) Histogram of proliferation (CFSE dilution) of CD4⁺ T cells assessed by flow cytometry, and (ii) IL-17 and IFN-γ cytokine production assessed in supernatants of MLR by ELISA. Data were expressed in histograms as mean ± SEM of 4 independent experiments. (B) Purified CD4⁺ T cells from naïve rats were stimulated with pb anti-CD3 (5 μg/mL) in combination with CLEC-1–Fc or irrelevant hSEAP-Fc fusion proteins (10 μg/mL) for 4 days. (i) Proliferation (CFSE dilution) was assessed by flow cytometry, and (ii) IL-17 cytokine production was assessed in supernatants by ELISA and in CD4⁺ T cells by flow cytometry as FSC vs isotype or IL-17 staining. Data were expressed as histograms as mean ± SEM of 4 independent experiments. **P < .01; ***P < .001. FSC, forward scatter.