FIG 4.
Collagen deposition in mouse gastrocnemius after experimental infection with a sublethal inoculum of C. perfringens. Groups of 3 CD-1 mice were injected intramuscularly with 1 × 106 CFU of C. perfringens. (A) Sections from muscle samples collected 7, 14, and 30 days after injection were stained with Sirius red and Fast green. Red areas correspond to collagen fibers, while green areas correspond to other proteins. Controls were injected with sterile PBS. Bars, 100 μm. (B) Fibrotic muscle was quantified at 30 days as the percentage of the examined area corresponding to collagen. Results show means ± SE. *, P < 0.05 for samples with a statistically significant difference compared with the control.