Oral iron chelators desferasirox and deferriprone are more effective than DFO in chelating intracellular iron and limiting intracellular C psittaci and L pneumophila growth. Macrophages from either (A) wild-type mice (C3H) or (B) flatiron mice were grown in FAC for 48 hours and then incubated in the presence of different concentrations of DFO (•), desferasirox (△), or deferriprone (▲) for 18 hours. Cells were lysed and ferritin levels determined as described in “Methods.” (C) Flatiron macrophages grown in FAC for 48 hours were infected with C psittaci for 2 hours, extracellular bacteria washed away, and cells incubated in the presence of different concentrations of DFO (•), desferasirox (△), or deferriprone (▲). Twenty-fours hours after infection cells were fixed and processed for immunofluorescence, and the percentage of cells with large inclusions was determined as in Figure 1. (D) A/J macrophages grown in FAC for 48 hours were infected with L pneumophila for 2 hours, extracellular bacteria washed away, and cells incubated in the presence of different concentrations of DFO (•), desferasirox (△), or deferriprone (▲). Cells were lysed and lysates plated on CYET for 3 days and CFUs determined. Experiments were repeated a minimum of 3 times. Error bars represent the standard deviation of the mean.