PMC

Reduction in density of CD45⁺ cells in the parenchyma of minocycline-treated compared to PBS-treated mice at 20 and 30 days p.i. Each bar represents the mean ± the SEM of the values obtained from five to six animals. *, P < 0.05 (Mann-Whitney U test).

Glia reaction at 30 days p.i from PBS-treated (A and C) and minocycline-treated (B and D) mice. Sections stained immunohistochemically for tomato lectin, a microglia marker, show hypertrophic ramified microglia in PBS-treated mice (A) but not in minocycline-treated mice (B) in the corpus callosum. GFAP immunoreactivity in astrocytes is prominent in PBS-treated mice (C) and is reduced in minocycline-treated mice (D) in the septal nuclei. Bar, 50 μm.

Relative expression of TNF-α (A), IFN-γ (B), IL-1α (C), and IL-1β (D) mRNA in the brains of uninfected control, infected PBS-treated and infected minocycline-treated (mino) mice. Each bar represents the mean ± the SEM of the values obtained from four animals. Statistically significant differences in comparison with uninfected animals (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01) and between PBS-treated and minocycline-treated infected mice sacrificed at the same time point p.i. (#, P < 0.05; ##, P < 0.01) (one-way ANOVA).

Relative expression of ICAM-1 (A), E-selectin (B), MMP-3 (C), and MMP-12 (D) mRNA in the brains of uninfected control, infected PBS-treated, and infected minocycline-treated (mino) mice. Each bar represents the mean ± the SEM of the values obtained from four animals. Statistically significant differences in comparison with uninfected animals (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01) and between PBS-treated and minocycline-treated infected mice sacrificed at the same time point p.i. (#, P < 0.05; ##, P < 0.01) (one-way ANOVA).

Effects of minocycline treatment on trypanosome invasion into the brain parenchyma. (A) Reduction in density of parasites in the parenchyma of minocycline-treated compared to PBS-treated mice at 20 and 30 days p.i. Each bar represents the mean ± the SEM of the values obtained from five to six animals. *, P < 0.05 (Mann-Whitney U test). (B and C) Double immunofluorescence labeling of trypanosomes (red) and cerebral endothelial cells (green) at 30 days p.i. in PBS (B)- and minocycline (C)-treated mice. Note the presence of extravascular parasites in PBS-treated and intravascular parasites in minocycline-treated mice. Bar, 25 μm.

(A) Levels of parasitemia in minocycline-treated and PBS-treated mice at different time points p.i. Each point represents the mean ± the SEM of the values obtained from 11 to 16 animals. (B) Effect of minocycline on the viability of T. b. brucei in vitro. T. b. brucei organisms were incubated with the indicated minocycline concentrations for 24, 48, and 72 h at 37°C and 5% CO₂. Each point represents the mean ± the SEM of the values obtained from three independent experiments which were done in duplicate. Only motile cells were counted. (C) Body weight in uninfected and infected minocycline-treated or PBS-treated mice. Body weight is expressed as a percentage change of the preinfection weight at day 0. Each point represents the mean ± the SEM of the values obtained from 4 to 16 animals. Statistically significant differences in comparison with uninfected control animals were determined (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01 [two-way ANOVA]).