FIG. 2.

Ablation of DCs enhances viral spread into the nervous system. On day 4 post-HSV-1 infection, footpads and the spinal cord were harvested from DT- and PBS-treated DTR-Tg mice. Lysates were then prepared and assayed for HSV-1 PFU on permissive Vero cells. (A) Each data point is representative of the mean of both footpads from a single mouse. (B) Each data point is representative of the mean log PFU per/gram of spinal cord from an individual mouse. Statistical analysis using the Wilcoxon sum of ranks test revealed no significant differences in HSV-1 PFU levels in the footpads of DT- versus PBS-treated DTR-Tg mice (P > 0.05). Significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) were detectable in HSV-1 PFU levels in the spinal cords of DT- versus PBS-treated DTR-Tg mice.