UCP2 and infection: Taken together, our data showed that UCP2 deficiency was dispensable for the resolution of the lesions at the site of infection, but was advantageous to achieve an early reduction of parasite load in the DLN and was essential for efficient parasite clearance in the spleen after 12 weeks p.i. These results are consistent with previous research showing that the capacity to kill intracellular L. major parasites was dramatically reduced in mice deficient in the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) [34].