FIG 2 .

Changes in RBC deformability and spleen retention of iRBCs. (A) Deformability/velocity of RBCs in mice with parasite infection on different postinfection days. iRBC-YM, YM-GFP-infected RBCs; iRBC-17X, 17X1.1-GFP-infected RBCs. The lines connect the mean results of each RBC population. Data were pooled from at least three individual experiments, each with three mice per group. Statistical analysis using a one-way ANOVA with Tukey test was performed for the following comparisons: (i) iRBCs versus uRBCs; (ii) 17X- versus YM-infected peripheral blood samples and between day 5 versus day 7 p.i. results; (iii) peripheral blood, splenic blood, and splenectomized peripheral blood samples from YM-infected mice on day 7 p.i.; (iv) peripheral blood samples from mice with intact spleens versus splenectomized mice, both infected with 17X, at day 7 p.i. (B) H&E staining of spleen sections for different postinfection days under 100× magnification. Red arrows, parasite pigments. Representative images are presented (n = 5). (C) Comparison of parasite loads in peripheral blood and spleens for animals with different parasite infections. Data are means ± standard errors of the means of results from two individual experiments, each with three mice per group. *, statistically significant (P < 0.05).