C. Vasconcellos et Mn. Sotto, EXPERIMENTAL CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS - TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF THE INOCULATION SITE, International journal of experimental pathology, 78(2), 1997, pp. 81-89
Tissue response against inoculation of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazone
nsis promastigotes in the hind footpad was quite different between two
strains of mice: in BALB/c animals there was parasitism of perineuria
l cells by the 8th week post inoculation (WPI) and heavy parasitism of
macrophages, as well as degenerated extracellular parasites close to
collagen fibers at the 39th WPI, whereas in C57BI/6j mice there was he
avy parasitism of macrophages at 6th WPI, dermal vessels with high end
othelial cell at 21st WPI and well preserved intracellular amastigote
forms by 51st WPI. In both animals there was no parasitism of keratino
cytes or Langerhans cells. Thus BALB/c mice were useful as an experime
ntal model for diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis and showing a new featu
re, parasitism of perineurial cells, whereas C57BI/6j animals show hyp
ersensitivity signs, together with a few preserved parasites, only lat
e in the course of infection. From a morphological point of view, ther
e were no differences in macrophages, or in the interaction between th
is target cell and the parasite, between the animal models studied. Th
is suggests that the difference in the response of the hosts towards t
he parasite could depend on the way in which they activate acellular,
i.e. lymphocyte mediated immune, response.