Nonobese Diabetic (NOD) Mice Lack a Protective B-Cell Response against the “Nonlethal” Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL Malaria Protozoan

Figure 4

Pancreatic analysis of NOD mice infected with P. yoelii 17XNL sporozoites. (a) Glycemia values in P. yoelii 17XNL-infected mice as monitored 20 days after infection. Dotted line indicates the upper limit of normoglycemia (200 mg/dL) as determined in a cohort of 25 untouched, 2-month-old C57Bl/6 mice and 20 untouched, 2-month-old NOD mice; (b) pancreatic β-islets from P. yoelii-infected NOD mice at day 20 after infection. Shown are scattered P. yoelii 17XNL-iRBCs (green spots) in the pancreatic parenchyma. The β-islets are shown in fluorescent red and cell nuclei in blue. (c) Three representative pancreatic β-islets from a P. yoelii-infected NOD mouse that succumbed 21 days after infection (left panels). Note the lack of lymphocyte infiltration and normal intraislet insulin secretion (dark-brown color) in contrast to heavy lymphocyte infiltration (dark cyan cells) and reduced intraislet insulin secretion in a 5-month-old, diabetic NOD control mouse (3 right panels).

(a)

(b)

(c)