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. 2007 Dec;45(4):247-53.
doi: 10.3347/kjp.2007.45.4.247.

Viscerotropic growth pattern of Leishmania tropica in BALB/c mice is suggestive of a murine model for human viscerotropic leishmaniasis

Hamid Mahmoudzadeh-Niknam  1 , Simin Sadat Kiaei, Davood Iravani
Affiliations

Viscerotropic growth pattern of Leishmania tropica in BALB/c mice is suggestive of a murine model for human viscerotropic leishmaniasis

Hamid Mahmoudzadeh-Niknam et al. Korean J Parasitol. 2007 Dec.

Abstract

Leishmania (L.) tropica is a causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis, and occasionally of visceral or viscerotropic leishmaniasis in humans. Murine models of Leishmania infection have been proven to be useful for elucidation of mechanisms for pathogenesis and immunity in leishmaniasis. The aim of this study was to establish a murine model for human viscerotropic leishmaniasis, and the growth pattern of L. tropica was studied in different tissues of BALB/c mice in order to find out whether the parasite visceralizes in this murine model. L. major was used as a control as this species is known to cause a progressive infection in BALB/c mice. L. tropica or L. major was injected into the footpad of mice, and thickness of footpad, parasite loads in different tissues, and the weight of the spleen and lymph node were determined at different intervals. Results showed that L. tropica visceralizes to the spleen and grows there while its growth is controlled in footpad tissues. Dissemination of L. tropica to visceral organs in BALB/c mice was similar to the growth patterns of this parasite in human viscerotropic leishmaniasis. The BALB/c model of L. tropica infection may be considered as a good experimental model for human diseases.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Footpad thickness of L. tropica and L. major-infected BALB/c mice. Mice were infected with 106 parasites in the footpad. Asterisks (*) shows statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between the 2 groups.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Parasite loads of L. tropica and L. major-infected BALB/c mice in (A) footpad, (B) lymph node, and (C) spleen at the indicated time points after infection with 106 parasites in the footpad. Asterisks (*) shows statistically significant differences (P ≤0.05) between L. tropica and L. major-infected tissues.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Weight of lymph node (A) and spleen (B) in L. tropica and L. major-infected BALB/c mice. Mice were infected with 106 parasites in the footpad. Asterisks (*) shows statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between L. tropica and L. major-infected tissues.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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