using a phosphorImage plate scanner (Amersham Biosciences, USA). Induction of Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) Balb/c mice were exposed to 600 cGy whole body gamma- radiation (WBI) (Gamma Cell 220, AECL Canada). To induce GVHD in immunocompromised Balb/c mice, 86106 splenic lymphocytes from C57BL/6 donors were injected i.v. 48 h after irradiation. Each mice in control group received vehicle treated splenic lymphocytes, whereas each mice in the ursolic acid group received splenic lymphocytes treated with 5 mM ursolic acid for 4 h. The recipient mice were monitored daily to assess the signs of GVHD. A total of 10 mice were used per group. GVHD became evident from rapid and sustained weight loss as well as from features such as hunchback, diarrhoea, hair loss and death. Serum was separated from the blood collected on days 3 and 5 from recipient mice (Balb/c) injected with vehicle treated lymphocytes or UA treated lymphocytes taken from C57BL/6 mice and levels of different cytokines were estimated using sandwich ELISA. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR mRNA levels in the samples were quantified by quantitative real-time RT-PCR as described previously [55]. Briefly, total RNA was isolated from the samples using Trizol reagent following the manufacturer’s instructions (Sigma) and was dissolved in deionised DEPC-treated water. From this RNA 2 mg was converted to cDNA by reverse transcription (cDNA synthesis kit) following the manufacturer’s instruction (sigma). qPCR was carried out using the Rotor Gene 3000 (Corbett Research) machine. The PCR was setup by mixing 106 SYBR green PCR mix (sigma) with 5 ml cDNA, 10 picomoles each of forward and reverse primers (Table 1), and PCR-grade water in 20 ml reaction system. 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