FIG. 6.

Low dietary protein/antioxidants decrease day 3 lung CD3δ⁺ T-cell numbers in B6 mice. Shown is immunofluorescent staining for Chlamydia spp. (green), CD3δ (red), and cellular nuclei (DAPI) (blue) in lung sections of B6 and A/J mice on LL or HL diets sacrificed on day 3 p.i. (A to D). For each mouse (n = 5), the number of DAPI- and CD3δ-stained cells was counted in two microscopic fields of two lung sections showing similar chlamydial staining. B6 mice on the LL diet (A) exhibited significantly lower numbers of CD3δ⁺ cells than other groups (B to E). Determination of CD3δ transcripts (per 1,000 copies of PBGD mRNA) by duplex real-time PCR confirmed the reduced CD3δ⁺ cell numbers (F) (n = 10). Asterisks indicate significant differences compared to B6-LL mice (P < 0.05 by Tukey HSD test). Error bar, ±95% CI.