Figure 6. Chronic administration of anti-TNF antibody restores regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine transcription and parasite development in infected RAG^−/− mice.

Groups of S. mansoni-infected RAG^−/− mice were repeatedly treated throughout pre-patent infection with anti-TNF antibody, as described in Materials and Methods. At 6 weeks p.i., mice were euthanized, parasites perfused from the portal tract and spleens removed for analysis of IL-1β (A), TNF (B) and CCL2 (C) mRNA content by real-time PCR. (D) Length of male worms and (E) liver egg burdens from RAG^−/− mice treated with anti-TNF antibody. Horizontal bars represent mean values for each experimental group. P values were calculated using the Mann Whitney test and student's T-test with Welch's correction. Dashed line in D indicates the average length of male S. mansoni worms recovered from wild type mice at day 42 post infection (3.9 mm).