Group B Streptococcus Hijacks the Host Plasminogen System to Promote Brain Endothelial Cell Invasion (original) (raw)
Figure 5
Plasmin(ogen)-coated GBS displays enhanced abilities to invade the central nervous system.
(A) Neonatal BALB/c mice were infected i.p. at 48 h after birth with 5×106 CFU of GBS incubated with (PLG-treated GBS) or without (untreated GBS) plasminogen plus tPA. GBS CFU were determined in the brain of neonates at 6 and 18 h post-infection. Results from individual mice are shown. Statistical differences (P values) between groups are indicated. (B and C) Pregnant BALB/c mice, from the gestational day 15 until the end of the experiment, were given drinking water containing εACA (12 g/L) or normal water (control group). The newborns were kept with their mothers throughout the experiments. Two days after the birth, the pups were infected with 5×106 cells of untreated GBS. (B) Kaplan-Meier survival curves of neonatal mice born from εACA-treated or control mothers. The numbers between parentheses represent the number of animals that survive versus the total number of infected animals. Results represent data pooled from two independent experiments. (C) GBS CFU recovered at 18 h post-infection in the liver, lungs, blood and brain of pups. Results from individual mice are shown. Statistical differences (P values) between groups are indicated. ND – not detected.