CD8A and infection: To confirm that parasite-induced IL-12p40 mRNA accumulation in CD8+ DC was the main target of VCAM-1 blockade, we next sorted these cells following MACS enrichment, based on expression of CD11c, MHC-II and CD8α (Figure 7C), from naïve animals or at 5 hours p.i. from mice infected with L. donovani that had received control rat IgG or anti-VCAM-1 mAb prior to infection.