FIG 2.

Regulation of ROS production during T. cruzi infection. WT and AhR KO mice were infected with 1 × 10³ trypomastigotes. (A) Parasitemia was measured every 2 days from day 3 to day 15 day postinfection (dpi). (B) Nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured in the serum of T. cruzi-infected AhR KO and WT mice by the Griess method following enzymatic conversion of NO₃⁻ to NO₂⁻ by nitrate reductase at 10 and 15 dpi. (C) Spleens from T. cruzi-infected AhR KO and WT mice were obtained 10 dpi for ex vivo measurement of levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and of production of NO and also peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) after treatment with FeTPPS (50 μM) for 1 h or in the absence of treatment. Data are shown as means ± SEM of the number of the parasites per milliliter of blood from one experiment representative of three independent experiments performed with seven animals per group for the data shown in panel A. Data were normalized to the results from AhR KO and WT noninfected animals and are represented as fold changes in panel C. ***, P < 0.001; *, P < 0.05.