Figure 2 M. bovis BCG clearance and mycobacterial-induced lung pathology is not influenced by an established or successive T. muris infection. (A) Viable pulmonary M. bovis BCG CFU numbers at experimental AZD2014 concentration endpoint in co-infected (black) Foretinib in vivo and BCG-only (clear) infected BALB/c mice infected according to experimental design as shown in Figure 1A. Data display mean ± SEM, representing 3 individual experiments of 5–6 animals per group. (B) Viable pulmonary M. bovis BCG CFU numbers at experimental endpoint in co-infected (black) and BCG-only (clear) infected BALB/c mice infected according to experimental design as shown

in Figure 1B. Data display mean ± SEM, representing 3 individual experiments of 5–6 animals per group. (C) Viable pulmonary M. bovis BCG CFU growth curve data of co-infected (black) and BCG-only (clear) infected mice at days 14, 24 and 35 post BCG infection (D) Representative histological H&E stained lung sections captured at 10x magnification illustrating the differences in histopathology between BCG/T.muris co-infected, PF-6463922 manufacturer BCG-only infected, uninfected

and T. muris-only infected BALB/c mice infected according to experimental design as shown in Figure 1A. (E) Pulmonary histopathological scoring was performed in a blinded fashion according to the degree of peribronchiolitis (b), perivasculitis (v), interstitial pneumonitis (i) and alveolitis (a) per lung. Average pulmonary scores of BALB/c mice infected according to experimental design as shown in Figure 1A. Groups included

naive (circle), T. muris-only (diamond), BCG-only (triangle) and co-infected (square) mice. Data display mean ± SD, representing 2 individual experiments of 5–6 animals per group. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. (*p ≤ 0.05, ns = non significant). Previously established BCG infection delays T. muris expulsion in co-infected animals The influence of M. bovis BCG co-infection on eradication of T. muris in BALB/c mice was evaluated as worm expulsion for both experimental protocols (Figure 1A and B). In each case, susceptible IL-4KO mice with disrupted protective TH2 responses, were included as controls of delayed worm clearance [33]. Following the infection strategy in Figure 1A, the helminth burden at experimental Metformin supplier completion demonstrated that almost half (44%; 4/9) of mice with an established chronic BCG infection, that were subsequently co-infected with a low dose of helminth eggs, still presented with T. muris, whereas significantly more animals (88%; 7/8) from the T. muris-only infected group had cleared all helminths (Figure 3A). Both groups displayed significantly lower worm burdens compared to IL-4KO mice infected with T. muris only (Figure 3A). Similar results were observed in experimental repeats using a high dose of helminth eggs, showing helminth clearance in (100%; 0/9) T. muris-only infected BALB/c mice, whereas T. muris expulsion failed in (40%; 4/10) M.