Fig. 5
PG regulated ROS-NLRP3 pathway in resisting N. caninum infection. WT and Nlrp3−/− PMs were pre-treated with or without NAC (5 mM, 1 h), then infected with N. caninum an MOI of 1 for 4 h, and N. caninum-infected PMs were incubated with or without PG (30 μM). The PMs were collected at 24 h post-infection. a PMs were stained with polyclonal antiserum against NcSAG1, which reacts with N. caninum tachyzoites. The F-actin was labeled with TRITC-phalloidin and the nuclei was stained with DAPI for confocal microscopy observation. b Percentage of N. caninum infected cells was monitored by fluorescence microscopy. c Quantification of parasites in vacuoles in Nlrp3−/− PMs were monitored by fluorescence microscopy. d Number of parasites in Nlrp3−/− PMs were detected by quantitative PCR. WT and Nlrp3−/− mice were intraperitoneally infected with 2.5 × 107 N. caninum tachyzoites or PBS (0.5 ml). After 2 days, the infected groups were injected with PG (75 mg/kg, in 0.5 ml PBS) or PBS (0.5 ml). Serum and peritoneal exudate cells were collected at day 8. e IL-18 in serum was measured by ELISA. f Parasite burdens in peritoneal exudate cells was detected by quantitative PCR. The data are shown as the mean ± SE from three independent experiments. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 vs the Nc group in WT PMs or Nlrp3−/− PMs; ##P < 0.01, ###P < 0.001 vs PG30-Nc (MOI = 2) in Nlrp3−/− PMs