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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Microbes Infect. 2016 Mar 16;18(6):430–435. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2016.03.004

FIGURE 1. Statins lower bacterial burden in infected C3H/HeN mice.

FIGURE 1

Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the spirochetal burden in mice infected with B. burgdorferi and treated with statins. Groups (n = 5) of 6-week-old C3H/HeN female mice were infected intradermally with B. burgdorferi strain B31 isolate MSK5 at 103 spirochetes per mouse. Each group was treated with 5 mg/kg of lovastatin, simvastatin, or vehicle control, every other day by oral gavage. Total genomic DNA was isolated from tissues (skin, spleen, lymph node, and joint) using the High Pure PCR template preparation kit, and quantitative real-time PCR was performed. Numbers of borrelial flaB copies were normalized against total mouse β-actin copies. Data shown represent 2 independent experiments. All tissues showed a significant decrease in burden with the exception of the joints. The asterisks indicate levels of significance as follows: ***, P < 0.001; **, P < 0.01; *, P < 0.05.