Depletion of systemically and perivascularly located phagocytic cells from day 5 p.i. does not prevent ECM.

<p><b>(A)</b> C57BL/6 mice were infected with 10⁴<i>Pb</i> ANKA pRBCs. On day 5 p.i. mice were injected i.p. with 300 μL clodronate liposomes with (n = 22) or without (n = 6) 8 μL clodronate liposomes i.c.v., or left untreated (n = 9). Mice were monitored daily for development of ECM (grey area). Results are pooled from five experiments. <b>(B)</b> C57BL/6 (n = 11) and CX₃CR1-iDTR mice (n = 5) were infected with 10⁶<i>Pb</i>ANKA pRBCs and treated with tamoxifen and diphtheria toxin as described in the methods to systemically deplete CX₃CR1⁺ cells in the latter group. Mantel-Cox test showed no statistically significant differences in survival. <b>(C)</b> Representative coronal cryosection of brains showing depletion of Iba1⁺microglia (green), a CX₃CR1⁺ population, in CX₃CR1-iDTR mice (right), compared to parallel C57BL/6 control (left), with ECM. Scale bars: (C) 50 μm.