Fig. 6.

Recruitment of immune cells to the uterine horns is delayed in IRF3 KO mice. WT control and IRF3 KO mice (three mice per group) were infected with 1 × 10⁶ IFU/ml of C. muridarum. Genital tract tissues from individual mice were isolated and processed for flow cytometry as described in Materials and Methods at days 4 and 7 postinfection. The percentage of CD45⁺ cells (A), CD45⁺ Ly6G⁺ neutrophils (B), and CD45⁺ F4/80⁺ macrophages (C) were calculated for upper genital tract tissues by flow cytometric analysis. For all panels, dots represent data points calculated for tissue derived from individual mice. The line represents the mean. Statistically significant differences as measured by a two-tailed t test are indicated.