Fig. 8: Neutrophil depletion induces PC generation and improves parasitemia control and survival.

Samples of naïve, neutrophil-depleted/14dpi and isotype treated/14dpi mice were analyzed by flow cytometry (gating strategies in Figs. s8 and s9). a Total number of CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and NK1.1⁺ NKT/NK cells. b Total number of B cells including B220⁺IgM⁻CD19⁻ Pre-Pro B cells, B220⁺IgM⁻CD19⁺ Pro and Pre B cells, B220⁺CD93⁺ Immature B cells, B220⁺Cd1d^High MZBs, B220+Cd1d^Low FOBs cells and B220^IntCD138⁺ PCs. For a, b, Data represent means ± S.D collected from combined results of 6 mice from two of three separate experiments using unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-tests for analysis, with p ≥ 0.05 considered as not significant (ns), and p < 0.05 considered as statistically significant. c Representative immunofluorescence images of thin frozen spleen sections of all experimental groups stained with anti-IgG antibody (green), anti-AID antibody (red), and DAPI (nuclear staining—blue). Scale bar = 50 µm. White arrows indicate IgG⁺ B cells. Spleen sections from three individual mice per experimental group were stained, showing one representative result. d Parasitemia in neutrophil-depleted mice (blue) and control-infected mice (dark pink). Mice received one injection of anti-Gr-1 antibody or isotype control two days before the T. b brucei AnTat 1.1 trypanosomes challenge, followed by subsequent antibody treatment every two days till 12 dpi. Pairwise comparison was conducted between the two groups using unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-tests, with p = (1)0.0009 (2)0.0031 (3)0.0347 (4)0.0115 (5)0.0329 (6)0.00306 considered as statistically significant. e Survival of depleted (blue) and control (dark pink) mice. For d, e, results represent combined data from 2 individual experiments, using ten mice per experimental group in total, using a Mann Whitney U test for analysis of parasitemia and a Mantel–Cox test for survival curves (MS = median survival). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.