Figure 3.

Kaurenoic acid exerted its effect by upregulating NO levels in a cNOS-dependent mechanism. NO levels (Panel (a)); immunocytochemistry scoring for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Peritoneal macrophages infected with L. amazonensis and treated with kaurenoic acid (50, 70, and 90 μM) for 24 h (Panel (b)). Determination of NO in peritoneal macrophages infected with L. amazonensis and blocked with 20 μM L-NAME and treated with kaurenoic acid (50, 70, and 90 μM) for 24 h (Panel (c)). Data represent the mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. (^∗Significantly different from infected cells (P < 0.05). ^#Significantly different from control cells (P < 0.05) (one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test).)