Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Sep 21.
Published in final edited form as: Eur J Immunol. 2008 Mar;38(3):706–719. doi: 10.1002/eji.200737660

Figure 4. NKT Cells are Required for Increased Protection Induced by αGalCer.

Figure 4

To verify the role of NKT cells in the αGalCer enhancement of protection induced during DNAp36 priming, groups of NKT deficient BALB/c mice were vaccinated and challenged with Leishmania major: -■-, PBS-NK-T (control) -●- pCINeoDNA and WR-Luc (vector control); -▲-, DNAp36 + VVp36; -∗-, p36DNA+αGalCer + VVp36; also shown is the course of infection for control -◆-, PBS WT-BALB/c mice; (DNAp36 versus DNAp36+ αGalCer p=0.45).

B) Evaluation of parasite burdens at 13 weeks post-infection. Inline graphic, BALB/c (WT) PBS (control); Inline graphic, NK-T PBS (Control); Inline graphic, NK-T pCINeoDNA and WR-Luc (vector control); Inline graphic, NK-T DNAp36 + VVp36; Inline graphic, NK-T DNAp36+αGalCer + VVp36. (DNAp36 versus DNAp36+ αGalCer P=0.65) These results are representative of 2 independent experiments. It should be noted that this experiment was performed together with the experiment shown in Figure 5. Hence an enhanced protection was observed for BALB/c mice vaccinated with p36DNA+αGalCer.