Figure 3.
VNI clears Trypanosoma cruzi infection in vivo. A, Acute model of Chagas disease. Mice (5 per group) were intraperitoneally infected with a lethal dose of T. cruzi trypomastigotes (1 × 105 organisms), followed by oral treatment, 1 day after infection, with either VNI (25 mg/kg) or with drug vehicle twice per day for 30 days. Inset, Kaplan-Meier survival plot. B, Chronic model of Chagas disease. Mice (9 per group) were intraperitoneally infected with T. cruzi blood trypomastigotes (50 organisms) to induce chronicity. Ninety days after infection, oral treatment with VNI (25 mg/kg) or drug vehicle was administered twice daily for 30 days, after which mice were immunosuppressed by 6 injections of cyclophosphamide (CY; arrows) to reactivate infection. Inset, Kaplan-Meier survival plot.