Figure 10.
C57BL/6 infected with T. b. rhodesiense lacking ICP dampen the immune response in the spleen by day 14. C57BL/6 mice were infected with BSF parasites of T. b. rhodesiense WT, Δicp, and Δicp:ICP (1 × 105 parasites per animal). After 14 days, mice were euthanized and the spleens were collected, then macerated in order for (A) the cellularity to be determined. The splenocytes were submitted to flow cytometry (B–H) or were cultured for 24 h, after which the supernatant was collected. The splenocytes were submitted to flow cytometry to assess expression of (B) CD4, (C) CD8, (D) CD19, (E) NK1.1, (F) CD11b, (G) F4/80, and (H) Gr1 within the total cell population. Graphs show individual points representing each mouse sample and the mean ± SD of two independent experiments combined (n ≥ 4 per group per experiment). The splenocyte culture supernatants were tested by ELISA to determine the levels of (I) IFN-γ, (J) TNF-α, and (K) IL-6. CTRL represents the non-infected control. Graphs show individual points representing each mouse sample and the mean ± SD of one experiment (n = 4 per group) and are representative of the profile of two independent experiments. Statistically significant differences were determined by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test, where p < 0.05 (*), p < 0.01 (**), and p < 0.001 (***).