FIG 7.
SOCS-inducing cytokines IFN-γ and IL-6, but not IFN-α or IFN-β, are transcriptionally upregulated concurrently with SOCS1 and SOCS3 during MAIDS-related MCMV retinitis. Groups of C57BL/6 mice with MAIDS-4 (retinitis resistant) or MAIDS-10 (retinitis susceptible) were injected subretinally with 104 PFU MCMV (left eyes) or an equal volume of medium (right eyes, controls). Whole eyes were collected at 3, 6, and 10 days postinfection and analyzed for IFN-α (A), IFN-β (B), IFN-γ (C), and IL-6 (D) mRNA expression by real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay. Mean mRNA expression ratios (fold change) from MCMV-infected eyes are shown relative to their medium-injected control eyes by the 2−ΔΔCT method. Values represent means ± SD from n = 5 mice per group. (Note that the y axis scaling differs between gene targets.) Statistical significance between treatment with MCMV and subretinal medium per day (*, P < 0.05) was determined by Student's t test.