FIG. 1.

Accumulation of parasites is reduced in the brains of CD8⁺ cell-depleted mice. Mice were infected with P. berghei ANKA (A and B) or a P. berghei ANKA line expressing luciferase (C). Groups of mice were treated with anti-CD8 antibodies 20 to 24 h before CM onset. (A) Depletion was checked by flow cytometry of blood lymphocytes 5 h after antibody injection. Data represent means ± SD (n = 5 mice per group). (B) When control mice developed CM, brains were harvested after intracardiac perfusion, and parasite mRNA expression was quantified by qRT-PCR. A group of mice was also analyzed before being treated with anti-CD8 antibodies (Bef). Each symbol represents one individual mouse from a pool of two independent experiments. (C) Mice were infected with luciferase-expressing P. berghei ANKA. When control mice developed CM, brain-accumulated pRBC were visualized after luciferin injection followed by intracardiac perfusion. n.s., not significantly different (Mann-Whitney test).