Animal Models for the Study of Leishmaniasis Immunology

Abstract

Leishmaniasis remains a major public health problem worldwide and is classified as Category I by the TDR/WHO, mainly due to the absence of control. Many experimental models like rodents, dogs and monkeys have been developed, each with specific features, in order to characterize the immune response to Leishmania species, but none reproduces the pathology observed in human disease. Conflicting data may arise in part because different parasite strains or species are being examined, different tissue targets (mice footpad, ear, or base of tail) are being infected, and different numbers (“low” 1×102 and “high” 1×106) of metacyclic promastigotes have been inoculated. Recently, new approaches have been proposed to provide more meaningful data regarding the host response and pathogenesis that parallels human disease. The use of sand fly saliva and low numbers of parasites in experimental infections has led to mimic natural transmission and find new molecules and immune mechanisms which should be considered when designing vaccines and control strategies. Moreover, the use of wild rodents as experimental models has been proposed as a good alternative for studying the host-pathogen relationships and for testing candidate vaccines. To date, using natural reservoirs to study Leishmania infection has been challenging because immunologic reagents for use in wild rodents are lacking. This review discusses the principal immunological findings against Leishmania infection in different animal models highlighting the importance of using experimental conditions similar to natural transmission and reservoir species as experimental models to study the immunopathology of the disease.

Does Leishmaniasis disease alter the parenchyma and protein expression in salivary glands?

“…12,17,29 As expected, it was also effective for the study of morphological characteristics of the salivary glands of infected animals and is reflected in a model that can be used in other studies.…”

“…10,11 Many animal models such as mice of the BALB/c strain represent the course of natural infection of visceral leishmaniasis, presenting clinical signs such as ascites, hepatosplenomegaly and progressive cachexia, consistent with aspects described in infected human patients. [12][13][14] The knowledge related to the disease will, in most cases, be limited to the understanding of organ damage, both individually and systemic. These are based on histopathological and immunohistochemical patterns that identify changes in the expression of regulatory proteins, cell division and death, tissue injury and loss of parenchymal function in organs.…”

In Silico Analyses of Epicoccamides on Selected Leishmania Trypanothione Reductase Enzyme-based Target

“…The genus Leishmania is trypanosomatid protozoa and parasitic in nature which causes the disease known as leishmaniasis, which infects some 15 million people around the world in three clinical forms: cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral [23][24][25] . Current therapies for the disease are associated with a risk of high toxicity and development of drug resistant strains.…”

Gerbils, As Experimental Animals (Meriones unguiculatus): Is A Good Role Model for Leishmania major?

“…Leishmania enfeksiyonlarının patogenezi ve immunopatolojisi, laboratuar hayvanlarının visserotropik Leishmania türleriyle enfekte edilmesiyle açıklanmaya çalışılmakta ve bu tarz çalışma-larda başta fare olmak üzere, hamster, köpek, primatlar ve yabani kemirgenler model hayvan olarak kullanılmaktadır (19)(20)(21)(22). Ancak bu çalışmalarda, genel olarak konak direncini aşacak dozlarda inokulasyonlar yapılmaktadır.…”

“…Ancak diğer tüm Leishmania türleri gibi L.major içinde rezervuar rol oynayan yabani kemiricilerin varlığı ile ilgili ayrıntılı bir çalışma bulunmamaktadır. Zoonotik kutanöz leishmaniasise yol açan L. major türünün rezervuarlarına yönelik çalışmalar daha çok doğal enfekte kemiriciler üzerinden yürütülmekte ve özellikle Ortadoğu ülkelerinde yapılan çalışmalarda, büyük gerbiller (Rhombomys opimus), Libya gerbili (Meriones libycus), Hint gerbili (Tatera indica), Hindistan büyük faresi (Bandicoot rats) (Nesokia indica), uzun kulaklı kirpi (Hemiechinus auritus), uzun tırnaklı bahçe sincabı (Spermophilopsis leptodactylus) gibi kemiricilerin L. major için rezervuar rol oynadıkları bildirilmektedir (15-18).Leishmania enfeksiyonlarının patogenezi ve immunopatolojisi, laboratuar hayvanlarının visserotropik Leishmania türleriyle enfekte edilmesiyle açıklanmaya çalışılmakta ve bu tarz çalışma-larda başta fare olmak üzere, hamster, köpek, primatlar ve yabani kemirgenler model hayvan olarak kullanılmaktadır (19)(20)(21)(22). Ancak bu çalışmalarda, genel olarak konak direncini aşacak dozlarda inokulasyonlar yapılmaktadır.…”