Figure 6.

Tissue damage in T. cruzi infected mice receiving the Salmonella-based therapeutic vaccine during the acute phase of infection. C3H infected mice were treated by oral route with 2 doses of SCz, SGM-CSF or SCz+SGM−CSF. (A) Serum levels of myopathy-linked enzyme in blood collected at 35 and 100 dpi. The results represent the media ± standard error and are representative of 3 independent experiments. *p < 0.05. Serum levels of cardiomyopathy-associated enzymes in non infected mice are: 30.02 5 ± 10.41, 1,080 ± 420, and 7.80 ± 6.0 IU/liter for CK, LDH, and AST, respectively. The sections of quadriceps were stained with H/E and observed by microscopy (40X) one hundred days after the last immunizations. (B) Skeletal muscle of control mice showing important necroses, calcifications and perivasculitis. (C) Mice treated with SCz exhibited some zones of muscular necrosis, and (D) mice treated with SCz+SGM−CSF displayed an important reduction in mononuclear cell infiltration.