FIGURE 5.

PFO and NLRP3 are involved in part in the progression of myonecrosis in the muscle tissues infected by Clostridium perfringens. C57BL/6 wild-type (A) or NLRP3-deficient mice (B) (wild = type, n = 10 and gene- knockout mice, n = 8 for infection with WT C. perfringens, and n = 5 for infection with other mutants or incubation with PBS) were intramuscularly infected with WT C. perfringens and/or any of its isogenic mutants. The sections of infected muscle tissues at 6 hpi were analyzed by HE, Gram stainings and immunostainings with anti-F4/80 antibody to detect macrophage lineage. Representative data are shown. Black arrows indicate the infecting bacteria and black arrow heads indicate nonspecific staining to nuclei of myocytes. Bars, 100 μm.