Effect of clindamycin therapy on phagocytic and oxidative activity profiles of spleen mononuclear cells in Babesia rodhaini-infected mice

Spleen weight, the number of spleen mononuclear cells, and their phagocytic activity in groups of Babesia rodhaini-infected mice treated with diminaze ne diaceturate and clindamycin increased significantly in the early stage o f treatment, and then decreased in the final stage of treatment to approxim ately the pre-infection level. The number of F4/80-positive macrophages and their oxidative activity per mean whole-spleen weight also increased signi ficantly during the course of treatment in comparison with the untreated gr oup. The increases in the clindamycin-treated group were more prominent tha n those in the group treated with diminazene diaceturate, suggesting the ef fectiveness of clindamycin therapy for murine babesiosis.