Figure 1.

(Left) CD1 mice with PCM (2% protein diet) infected with 10⁶ (□; n = 12 mice) or 10⁴ (○; n = 7 mice) virulent Erdman strain of M. tuberculosis experienced exacerbated course of tuberculous infection compared with controls fed a full protein diet [▪ (n = 9 mice) and • (n = 7 mice) represent control animals infected with 10⁶ and 10⁴ bacilli, respectively]. (Right) Reinstating a full protein diet to M. tuberculosis-infected CD1 mice with PCM reverses the fulminant course of tuberculosis associated with malnutrition. Fourteen days after initiation of the diet, mice fed a protein-deficient diet (2% protein; ▪) or a regular diet (20% protein; □) were infected with 10⁶ virulent Erdman strain of M. tuberculosis. At 18 days postinfection, the diets were switched between the two groups. Seven mice per group were studied.