Amplification, data acquisition, and data analysis were carried out this website in an ABI 7900HT Prism Sequence Detector (AB Applied Biosystems), and cycle threshold values (Ct) were exported to Microsoft Excel for analysis. Parasite loads were estimated by comparison with internal controls, with the level of the internal control calculated per parasite [20]. Briefly, numbers of parasites were calculated by interpolation on a standard curve, with Ct values plotted against a known concentration of parasites. After amplification, PCR product melting curves were acquired via a stepwise temperature increase from 60°C to 95°C. Data analyses were conducted with Dissociation Curves version 1.0 f (AB

Applied Biosystems). Peritoneal macrophage cultures Mouse peritoneal macrophages were collected from mice four days after their intraperitoneal injections with 1 ml of 4.05% brewer modified BBL™ thioglycolate medium (Becton Dickinson,

Sparks, MD). Collected cells were washed with 5 ml of cold PBS, then centrifuged at 800 × g for 10 min and suspended in RPMI 1640 medium (Sigma) containing 10% FBS. The macrophage suspension was then added to 24-well tissue culture microplates (1 × 106 cells/well). Suspensions were incubated at 37°C for 3 h, washed thoroughly to remove non-adherent cells, and incubated further PLX3397 price at 37°C. Macrophages were treated with purified TgCyp18 recombinant protein [13] at 37°C for 20 h. Cells were then harvested for qPCR analysis to determine their chemokine expression levels. qPCR analysis of chemokine expression Total

RNA was extracted from cells or homogenized tissues using Tri reagent (Sigma). Reverse transcription of RNA was performed using Superscript II Reverse Transcriptase (Gibco BRL) in a final volume of 25 μl. qPCR was carried out as described above. The relative amounts of all mRNAs Oxymatrine were calculated using the comparative Ct method (Perkin-Elmer). Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) mRNA was used as a control. Specific primer sequences for mouse CCL2 (5′-GGC TCA GCC AGA TGC AGT TAA-3′ and 5′-CCT ACT CAT TGG GAT CAT CTT GCT-3′), mouse CCL3 (5′-CCA GCC AGG TGT CAT TTT TCC T-3′ and 5′-TCC AAG ACT CTC AGG CAT TCA GT-3′), mouse CCL4 (5′-CTC CAA GCC AGC TGT GGT ATT C-3′ and 5′-CTC CAA GTC ACT CAT GTA ACT CAG TGA-3′), mouse CCL5 (5′-CCA ATC TTG CAG TCG TGT TTG T-3′ and 5′-CAT CTC CAA ATA GTT GAT GTA TTC TTG AAC-3′), mouse CCL6 (5′-TGC CAC ACA GAT CCC ATG TAA-3′ and 5′-TGA TGC CCG GCT TGA TG-3′), mouse CCL12 (5′-GAG AAT CAC AAG CAG CCA GTG T-3′ and 5′-GCA CAG ATC TCC TTA TCC AGT ATG G-3′), mouse CXCL10 (5′-GAC GGT CCG CTG CAA CTG-3′ and 5′-CTT CCC TAT GGC CCT CAT TCT-3′), mouse CX3CL1 (LY294002 5′-CCG AGG CAC AGG ATG CA-3′ and 5′-TGT CAG CCG CCT CAA AAC TT-3′), and mouse GAPDH (5′-TGT GTC CGT CGT GGA TCT GA-3′ and 5′-CCT GCT TCA CCA CCT TCT TGA T-3′) were designed using Primer Express (Applied Biosystems). Statistical analysis Data are expressed as the mean ± the standard deviation, or as scatter diagrams.