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. 2016 Mar 29:5:29.
doi: 10.1186/s40249-016-0122-0.

Revealing the kinetics of Leishmania chagasi infection in the male genital system of hamsters

Amanda P N Quintal  1 , Bruna C Borges  1 , Paula C Brígido  1 , Rebecca T Silva  1 , Ana F Notário  1 , Marlus A Santos  1 , Maria A de Souza  1 , Fernanda G O Nascimento  2 , Antônio V Mundim  2 , Guilherme M J Costa  3 , André B Vasconcelos  4 , Claudio V da Silva  5   6
Affiliations

Revealing the kinetics of Leishmania chagasi infection in the male genital system of hamsters

Amanda P N Quintal et al. Infect Dis Poverty. .

Abstract

Background: Leishmaniasis causes alterations and lesions in the genital system, which leads to azoospermia and testicular atrophy in animals during the chronic phase of the infection. The aim of this study was to reveal the kinetics of Leishmania chagasi infection in the genital system of male golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

Methods: Animals were intraperitoneally inoculated with amastigotes from L. chagasi. At different time points animals were euthanized and genital organs processed for histo-pathological, qPCR, cytokines and testosterone detection assays.

Results: Our results showed a high parasite load in testis, followed by an increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1-β, TNF-α and IFN-γ, and testosterone. Subsequently, IL-4 expression was upregulated and basal parasite persistence in testis was observed using the experimental approach.

Conclusion: Extracellular amastigotes migrated to the epididymis posing as a potential major factor of parasite persistence and venereal transmission of L. chagasi infection in hamsters.

Keywords: Epididymis; Extracellular amastigotes; Immune response; Leishmania chagasi; Testis; Testosterone.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
High testis parasitism triggered host immune response and testosterone secretion with parasite migration to epididymis. During week seven post-infection, testis showed a high parasite burden (a). Intense parasitism triggered the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (b, c, and d). Secretion of IL-4 (e) and progesterone (f) controlled immunity and favored parasite persistence. Upon host immune response, extracellular amastigotes migrated to the epididymis (g). Representative images of extracellular amastigotes are shown in phase contrast (h) and overlay of phase contrast and amastigote staining in green (i). Arrows indicate the presence of extracellular amastigotes. ****p < 0.0001; ***p < 0.001; **p < 0.01; *p < 0.05
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Proposed kinetic of L. chagasi infection in the genital system of male hamsters. Parasites reach testis through blood vessels (a). Upon the onset of a pro-inflammatory immune response, parasitism is controlled (b). The expression of testosterone and IL-4 may have favored the persistence of a low parasite load (c). Extracellular amastigotes migrate to the epididymis where they might be adhered to prismatic cells cilia or be released within sperm (d)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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