Metaclopramide diminishes the abnormal appearance of CD4⁺CD8⁺ cells in subcutaneous lymph nodes from T. cruzi infected mice.

The figure shows that in mice treated with the vehicle alone, acute T. cruzi infection did induce the abnormal appearance of CD4⁺CD8⁺ cells in subcutaneous lymph nodes (SCLN). Although such cells were also detected after in vivo treatment metoclopramide (MET, which promotes an increase in circulating PRL levels) their absolute numbers were significantly lower than those recorded in infected counterparts treated with the vehicle alone. Uninfected and infected mice received daily s.c. MET from 10 to 14 dpi or PBS as vehicle. At 15 dpi they were killed and their SCLN removed, homogenized and counted using Neubauer chamber. One million viable cells were immunostained with anti-CD4, anti-CD8 and anti-TCRβ antibodies, and CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells were thus characterized. Absolute numbers of these CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells were expressed as mean ± SE. These data are representative of two independent experiments using three mice per group in each experiment. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) between uninfected versus infected (*) or between 8 and 15 dpi (#) mice. ***p<0.001.