Methotrexate Treatment Causes Early Onset of Disease in a Mouse Model of Ross River Virus-Induced Inflammatory Disease through Increased Monocyte Production
Figure 4
MTX treatment of RRVD in mice accelerates skeletal muscle infiltration of inflammatory monocytes at day 6 post infection.
Mice were injected subcutaneously with 104 PFU of RRV and mock inoculated mice injected with PBS alone. Mice received intraperitoneal injections of MTX or PBS from the day of infection. The total number and percentage of (A) CD45+ leukocyte and (B) CD11b+ monocyte cells was determined by flow cytometry of whole quadriceps on day 6 post infection. Values are the mean ± SEM for 5 mice per group. * = P < 0.05. (C) Quadriceps were collected, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Images and infiltrate quantification are representative of 6 mice per group. Magnification is 200X and the white bar represents 100 µm. * = P < 0.05.