FIG. 1.

Primary inoculation of C57BL/6 mice with L. major in the ear dermis. (A) Defining the different mouse groups (n = 10 animals per group). At day 0, 10⁴ luciferase-expressing NIH 173 metacyclic promastigotes were inoculated into the right ear dermis (primary [1^ary] site) of C57BL/6 mice in groups 1, 2, and 3. At days 22 and 31 p.p.i., 10⁴ luciferase-expressing NIH 173 metacyclic promastigotes were inoculated into the contralateral (left) ears (secondary [2^ary] inoculation) of the mice in groups 2 and 3. As controls (Ctrl), a group of naïve mice received 10⁴ parasites in the left ear at day 22 after the primary inoculation of the test group. (B) Analyses of the left ears of the mice from the different groups at day 43 p.p.i. Pictures of representative ears are shown. The clinical features (clinical signs) were established by macroscopic observations. The parasitic load was assessed from the bioluminescence of the luciferase-expressing parasites. The number of photons (ph) per second per ear is indicated.