Fig. 2

Mast cells facilitate JEV clearance from the site of infection but enhance its entry into the brain. Virus burden in a peritoneal cells, b serum, c spleen, and d mesenteric lymph nodes was quantified from 6 h to 14 days after i.p. infection with SA 14-14-2 JEV (4 × 10⁷ PFU). Virus genome copies in the peritoneal cells, spleens, and mesenteric lymph nodes were detected by real-time qPCR and virus titers in the sera were detected by plaque assay. WT mice showed increased clearance of JEV in the peritoneal cells but no difference was observed in the serum, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes. * denotes P < 0.05 as analyzed by two-way ANOVA; n = 6. Data are representative of three independent experiments. e, f Serum of JEV-infected WT and Sash mice had similar levels of multiple cytokines including e IFN-γ and f TNF-α. NS denotes P > 0.05, analyzed by one-way ANOVA;  n= 5 and results are representative of three independent experiments. g Virus quantification in various parts of the brain: cerebral cortex, subcortex, cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord from 1 to 14 days after i.p. infection with SA 14-14-2 JEV, as assessed by real-time qPCR. JEV was detected in the brain starting 3 days post-infection and was cleared by 14 days. Virus titers are represented as JEV genome copies per milligram of tissue. * denotes P < 0.05, as analyzed by two-way ANOVA; n = 6, representative of three independent experiments. Dot-plot presentation of this data is provided in Supplementary Figure 4. Error bars represent the SEM. In spite of similar peripheral JEV titers and inflammatory cytokines, JEV titers were enhanced in multiple brain regions in WT compared to Sash mice