BMDCs express NK1R. (A) Microscopic and phenotypic characteristics of day–6 BMDCs. Cytospin showing immature DCs (→) identified by round nuclei and short membrane prolongations and mature DCs (*) with long membrane processes and bean-shaped nuclei. Hema-3 stain, ×500; scale bar = 5 μm. Dot plots of BMDCs illustrating the percentages (numbers in dot plots) of mature (CD11c⁺CD86^high or CD11c⁺CD83⁺) and immature (CD11c⁺CD86^−/low or CD11c⁺CD83⁻) DCs. (B,C) Expression of NK1R by BMDCs. (B) Cytospin of purified BMDCs showing the expression of NK1R on their cell surface. Fluorescence microscopy, ×500; scale bar equals 5 μm. (C) NK1R expression by CD11c⁺CD86⁺CD83⁺ mature and CD11c⁺CD86⁻CD83⁻ immature DCs analyzed by FACS. Mature and immature BMDCs express the N-terminal (top panels) and the C-terminal (bottom panels) motifs of the NK1R, indicating expression of the full-length functional NK1R. (A-C) Data are representative of 5 independent experiments. (D) qRT-PCR analysis of NK1R mRNA transcripts in BMDCs cultured with or without LPS. *P < .05. Means (± SD) of 3 independent experiments are shown.