Figure 3
Effect of L. longipalpis SGE on the course of L. braziliensis infection. BALB/c mice inoculated i.d. once (SGE-1X) or three times (SGE-3X) with Lutzomyia longipalpis SGE or with PBS (control) were challenged with 105L. braziliensis stationary phase promastigotes forms. The course of infection was monitored weekly by measuring the ear lesion size with a metric caliper. In A , the lesion size was determined by the difference between the infected ear and the opposite uninfected ear given in millimeters (mm) (n = 5 mice per group). Data represent the mean ± SEM and are representative of two independent experiments. #P < 0.05 compared with PBS. *P < 0.05 compared with the SGE1-X or SGE-3X group. Ear parasitic burden at the 3rd and 7th week post-infection were determined by a limiting-dilution assay (B). The data shown represent the mean ± SEM of two independent experiments, and each experiment was performed with five mice per group (n = 5). #P < 0.05 compared with PBS group. &P < 0.05 compared with PBS group. *P < 0.05 compared with the SGE-1X group.