Fig 4. Transcription of pro-inflammatory and fibrosis markers in kidney of mice after inoculation with pathogenic Leptospira.

C3H-HeJ mice were infected with equivalent sublethal doses of L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130 (10⁸) and kidney was collected two weeks post infection for quantitative PCR analysis of reverse-transcribed mRNA. (A) Innate response chemokines CxCL1, CxCL2 and CCL5 and cytokine TNF-α; (B) Th1 cytokine IFN-γ and (C) fibroblast activation marker collagen A1 (ColA1) and iNOS. Statistics by unpaired Mann-Whitney Exact Test between infected and uninfected control and between NM, TD versus IP: ns, not significant; **** p<0.0001; *** p<0.001; ** p<0.01, *p<0.05. n = 10–12 mice per group; Ctrl, control, OM, oral mucosa, NM, nasal mucosa, TD, transdermal and IP, intraperitoneal infections. Data represents two (OM, NM) or three (TD, IP) independent experiments.