Mice models
Four-week-old female C57BL/6 mice (B6) were purchased from Beijing Spefford Biotechnology Co. Ltd (China) and maintained in the specific pathogen-free grade environmental animal facility of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. All mice were adaptive fed for one week, and then randomly divided into two groups: acetone control group and TLR7/8 agonist resiquimod (R848)-induced group. To induce lupus-like disease, 40ul R848 (2 mg/ml), dissolved in acetone and stored a -80°C, was applied to the auricle of one side of mice every 3 days for 7 weeks. All animal experiments were approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital.