Fig. 5. CVB1–6 vaccine protects against acute CVB3 infection in Balb/c mice.

Male and female mice Balb/c mice were buffer-treated (150 μl, interscapularly; n = 3; black lines/bars) or vaccinated with CVB1–6 vaccine (1 μg of each serotype; 150 μl, interscapularly; n = 4; gray lines/bars) on days 0 and 21 and challenged with CVB3 (5 × 10⁴ PFU per mouse, intraperitoneally) on day 35 as shown in the schematic in (A). (B and C) Percentage weight change for individual animals compared to day 35 in buffer-treated (B) or CVB1–6–vaccinated mice (C). Dotted line indicates day 35 weight. ***P < 0.001 compared to day 35 weight as measured by one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s multiple comparison test. Replicating virus in the blood (D) on day 3 post-CVB3 infection or either the pancreas (E) or heart (F) on day 5 after infection, as determined by standard plaque assay [n = 2 for buffer-treated group in (E) and (F), as one animal was found dead on day 5 after infection]. Virus titers for individual mice have individual symbols, and the bars show means ± SD. The dotted lines show the limit of detection for the assays. *P < 0.05 comparing the two groups by Mann-Whitney U test. Insufficient n numbers in the buffer group prevented statistical analysis of (E) and (F).