Experimental infection with Leishmania chagasi in immunosuppressed Balb/c mice: cytokines and parasite burdens

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The immune response in leishmaniasis may result in a polarization of the T lymphocyte subpopulation, altering cell phenotype and resulting in immune protection or disease exacerbation. Leishmania may persist in the body either during asymptomatic infections or after treatment, which represents high risk under immunosuppression. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of infection with immunosuppression by dexamethasone associated with pentoxifylline on animal weight, spleen weight, spleen and hepatic parasitic load and immunopathology, as well as the IFN-γ and IL-10 production in spleen cell culture of Balb/c mice infected with Leishmania chagasi. The infection did not cause body weight gain in animals, but both the weight and size of the spleen were increased. The immunosuppression using dexamethasone associated with pentoxifylline affected body weight gain and spleen weight and size in both infected and non-infected animals. The immunosuppression did not significantly alter the course of the splenic or hepatic parasite burden. Dexamethasone and pentoxifylline significantly affected cytokine production, but did not influence the Th1/Th2 ratio in infected animals.

Liver- and Spleen-Specific Immune Responses in Experimental Leishmania martiniquensis Infection in BALB/c Mice

“…However, the infection resolved and the amastigotes finally disappeared. The infection pattern and parasitic load in BALB/c mice in this study mimicked other experimental VL infections with L. donovani (9,10,22,26,30,31) and L. infantum (32,33) in BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice that present a more susceptible mouse genetic background in VL outcomes (11). Efficient granuloma development surrounding infected Kupffer cells is the key event in the control of hepatic infection (10,22,24,34).…”

Leveraging Bioorthogonal Click Chemistry to Improve 225Ac-Radioimmunotherapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

“…However, in the case of the conventional RIT, the weight of the organ significantly decreases from 4 hours to 10 days after administration (P 0.01). In other cases, decreases in the spleen size were observed in mice administered immunosuppressive treatments (25). It follows that this could be an early sign of myelosuppression in the mice treated with the conventional RIT.…”