CASP3 and infection: Further results from our study support the idea of cellular apoptosis Caspase-3 and 8 were elevated in all three infected macrophages, regardless of the pathogenicity notwithstanding, a more pronounced upregulation was induced by the with virulent and attenuated inoculum of Leptospira. Whether macrophage apoptosis induction by Leptospira is form of evasion mechanism or a host defense response to infection, preventing the spread of infection Jin et al., [28] is still up for debate.