Leishsmania (Leishmania) amazonensis infection: Muscular involvement in BALB/c and C3H.HeN mice

Abstract

Recent studies have provided some insights into Leishsmania (Leishmania) amazonensis muscular infection in dogs, although, muscular disease due to leishmaniasis has been poorly documented. The aim of our study was to evaluate involvement of Leishmania in muscular infection of two distinct mouse strains (BALB/c and C3H.He), with different genetic backgrounds. BALB/c mice, susceptible to Leishmania infection, showed, at the beginning of infection, a great number of infected macrophages among muscle fibers; however, in C3H.He resistant mice, muscle fibers were less damaged than in BALB/c mice, but some parasitized macrophages could be seen among them. A follow up of the infection showed an intense inflammatory infiltrate mainly composed of infected macrophages in BALB/c muscles and the presence of amastigotes within muscle fibers; while C3H.He mice exhibited a moderate inflammatory infiltrate among skeletal muscle fibers and an absence of amastigotes. Total destruction of muscles was observed in BALB/c mice in the late phase of infection (day 90) while C3H.He mice showed a process of muscle repair. We concluded that: (1) the muscles of BALB/c mice were more affected by leishmaniasis than those of C3/H.He mice; (2) Leishmania amastigotes are capable of infecting muscular fibers, as observed in BALB/c mice; (3) as inflammatory infiltrate is less intense in C3H.He mice these animals are capable of restoring muscular fibers.

Drug Discovery Algorithm for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

“…amazonensis, 16 L. panamensis, 17 and L. braziliensis 18 has been reported in the literature, and we have additionally been able to infect BALB/c mice with L. tropica, L. peruviana, and L. guyanensis (Grogl M and others, unpublished data). Hamsters also may be infected with L. braziliensis.…”

Parasitic infections and myositis

“…Studies revealed that during the muscular injury there is protein degradation as an early response to the stimulus-inducing atrophy that is subsequently hidden, probably by biological processes of muscle adaptation to atrophy. In mice, severe inflammation of the muscular tissue with loss of myofibers and disorganization of the remaining fibers was reported (Silva-Almeida et al 2010). In the murine model during the chronic phase, the presence of amastigotes and an intense inflammation around the nerve infection site are very common which could also explain muscular atrophy (Calura et al 2008).…”

Subversion of Immunity byLeishmania amazonensisParasites: Possible Role of Phosphatidylserine as a Main Regulator

“…However, there is a gradient of disease severity, ranging from BALB/c mice, which develop a very fast lesion, that ulcerate, generating extensive areas of necrotic tissue, to C3H.HeN mice that still develop nonhealing lesions, however, displaying slow progression rates [16, 17]. Nonetheless, the phenotype displayed by different mouse strains does not correlate with dichotomic Th1/Th2 responses.…”