GAG removal does not affect phage inhibition of Kupffer cell entry. (A and B) Primary rat Kupffer cells were either left untreated or treated with the enzymes indicated in the bottom of the figure. This was followed by the sequential addition of the selected phages and P. berghei sporozoites. PBS buffer or wild-type phages (Wt) were added as controls. After 2-h incubation at 37°C, unbound sporozoites were washed out and Kupffer cells were fixed for sporozoite counting. The number of attached (A) and intracellular (B) parasites per 20 microscopic fields/well at 400-fold magnification was determined separately. Data from three independent experiments were combined. The percent inhibition relative to the wild-type phage–treated group is displayed at the bottom of each panel. P-values (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001) were calculated using the one-way ANOVA test. Error bars indicate standard deviation.