Figure 2. Effects of antibiotic treatment on Leptospira-infected mice.

C57BL/6J mice were infected with 10⁷ L. interrogans serovar Manilae (n = 3) or PBS (n = 1) and injected (IP) daily for 5 days with penicillin G (Pen) from day-1 p.i. until day-5 (D1–D5) or from day-3 p.i. until day-7 (D3–D7). Thereafter, mice were sacrificed at day-24 p.i. (A) Leptospiral loads in 100 µl urine determined by qRT-PCR, and imaging of the LipL32 leptospiral major antigen immunostaining in kidney sections. (B) Inflammation score (left panel) and pro-inflammatory RANTES mRNA expression (right panel). (C) Quantification (left panel) and microscopy (right panels) of fibrosis by Red Sirius staining. Values are counts (The bars represent the mean value in each group) or means of mRNA quantification ± SD from n = 3 mice per group and are from one representative experiment of two. *P<0.05; ***P<0.001 between groups.