Fig. 6. p38 is required for early clearance of C. albicans during OPC independent of c-Fos.

Wild-type (Balb/c) immunocompetent mice were treated with either BIRB796 or vehicle control and orally inoculated with C. albicans. A, Fungal burdens from tongues of mice infected with C. albicans 1, 2 and 4 days post-infection (p.i.). Results are median ± interquartile range of 9-12 mice per group obtained over two independent experiments (one for day 4) (Mann-Whitney tests). B to F, Relative expression of Il6 (B), Cxcll (C), Cxcl2 (D), Il17α (E), and Defb3 (F) in the mouse tongue homogenates 1 and 2 days p.i. mRNA amounts were determined by ΔCT method and normalized to Acta1 (Mann-Whitney tests). G, Quantification of neutrophil recruitment (S100A9+ cells) in tongues of untreated, BIRB79- treated, and C. albicans infected mice with or without BIRB796 at 1 and 2 days p.i. Data is derived from densitometric analysis of immnohistochemical stains (fig. S8B). Results are median ± interquartile range of 4-6 mice per group obtained over two independent experiments (Mann-Whitney tests). H, Immunoblot showing c-Fos induction and p38 and Hsp27 phosphorylation in tongues from a single cohort of mice orally inoculated with C. albicans with or without BIRB796 and their respective controls at 1 and 2 days p.i. Tubulin is a loading control. I, Densitometric analysis of p38 phosphorylation as shown in (H). Results are median ± interquartile range of 3 mice per group from a single cohort of mice. (Welch’s unpaired t-tests). Each symbol represents one mouse. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001