Figure 1.

Parasitic burden in the adipose tissue of infected mice. (a) Hemacolor staining of stromal vascular fraction cells isolated from gonadal adipose tissue (GAT), mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) and omental adipose tissue (OAT) of C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice 6 hr after intraperitoneal administration of 1 × 10⁷ Neospora caninum tachyzoites (NcT). Parasites are observed inside cells with macrophage-like morphology (indicated by arrows). (b) Parasitic load expressed as Log₁₀ of the number of parasites per gram of tissue, determined by PCR analysis, of the indicated organs or adipose tissue of WT mice 7 days after NcT inoculation. Each symbol represents an individual mouse. Horizontal lines represent the mean values of the respective group (± SD). These are pooled results from three independent experiments. (c) Detection of N. caninum in the indicated tissues/organs of WT mice 7 days after NcT inoculation by immunohistochemistry analysis. Thin sections of the indicated organs/tissues were specifically stained (brown coloration, indicated by arrows) with a polyclonal serum goat anti-N. caninum and counterstained with haematoxylin.