Caspase-11 Modulates Inflammation and Attenuates Toxoplasma gondii Pathogenesis

Figure 3

Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites induced severe toxoplasmosis which resolved during the chronic phase of disease in all surviving animals. Wild type, Casp11^−/−, and Asc^−/− mice were infected with 1,000 Toxoplasma gondii Me49 tachyzoites via i.p. administration and necropsied at 15 and 25 days after inoculation (d.p.i.). (a) Tachyzoite injection resulted in significantly increased spleen histopathology at 15 d.p.i. in all animals regardless of genotype. By 25 d.p.i., spleen histopathology was markedly improved with only minimal evidence of prior disease for all inoculated genotypes. Mild-to-moderate inflammation was observed in the livers of all infected mice. 20x magnification. (b) T. gondii tachyzoites were found in high concentrations in the spleen of all inoculated animals at 15 d.p.i. with no significant difference noted between genotypes. 100x magnification. Wild type mock, ; Asc^−/− mock, ; Casp11^−/− mock, ; wild type Tg, ; Asc^−/− Tg, ; Casp11^−/− Tg, . Data shown are representative of histopathology evaluated over the course of 3 independent studies.

(a)

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