Distinct migratory behavior and effector function of CD8⁺IFNγ⁺ and CD8⁺Pfn⁺ T-cells in <i>T. cruzi</i> infection.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Experimental scheme of CD8⁺ cell isolation from noninfected naïve <i>ifnγ</i>^−/−<i>pfn</i>^+/+ and <i>ifnγ</i>^+/+<i>pfn</i>^−/− donors, <i>in vivo</i> reconstitution of the CD8⁺ cell compartment of naïve <i>cd8</i>^−/− mice, infection with 100 bt of the Colombian strain at 15 days after cell transfer (dact) and analysis at 30 days post-infection. Parasitemia, survival rate, cardiac parasitism and CK-MB activity levels in the serum and colonization of the cardiac tissue by IFNγ⁺ and Pfn⁺ cells were evaluated. (<b>B</b>) Parasitemia and (<b>C</b>) survival curve of <i>cd8</i>^−/− mice non-reconstituted (NR) or reconstituted with CD8⁺ cells from <i>ifnγ</i>^+/+<i>pfn</i>^−/− and <i>ifnγ</i>^−/−<i>pfn</i>^+/+ donors. In independent experiments, the animals were analyzed at 30 dpi when 100% of the mice in all the experimental groups were alive (arrow). (<b>D</b>) Number of amastigote nests in 100 microscopic fields of cardiac tissue sections. (<b>E</b>) Cardiomyocyte lesion evaluated by CK-MB activity in serum samples. The number of (<b>F</b>) IFNγ⁺ and (<b>G</b>) Pfn⁺ cells in 100 microscopic fields of cardiac tissue sections from mice non-reconstituted (NR) or reconstituted with CD8⁺ cells from <i>ifnγ</i>^+/+<i>pfn</i>^−/− and <i>ifnγ</i>^−/−<i>pfn</i>^+/+ donors, at 30 dpi. Each symbol represents an individual mouse. These data represent three independent experiments. ^*, <i>p</i><0.05; ^**, <i>p</i><0.01; and ^***, <i>p</i><0.001, comparing <i>cd8</i>^−/− infected mice non-reconstituted and reconstituted with CD8⁺ cells from <i>ifnγ</i>^−/−<i>pfn</i>^+/+ and <i>ifnγ</i>^+/+<i>pfn</i>^−/− donors.