Effect of testosterone on Leishmania donovani infection levels of murine bone marrow derived-macrophages.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of the male sex hormone, testosterone (Te), on Leishmania donovani infection levels of bone marrow derived macrophages(BMMs) from female mice of strain C57BL/6J.


METHODS
After three weeks of Te-treatment, the BMMs were isolated, challenged with L. donovani at a ratio of 10 to 1 promastigotes per macrophage, and the infection levels of different time points were monitored by Giemsa staining.


RESULTS
BMMs from Te-treated mice had a significantly increased initial uptake(3 h post infection, P < 0.05) of promastigotes and carried heavier infection levels at all time points(24 h, 48 h, 72 h post infection, P < 0.01), compared with those from oil treated controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Te can increase L. donovani infection levels of BMMs, being possibly related to Te-induced immunosuppression.
Yin
G
G
Division of Parasitology of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001.
Guo
Z
Z
Yin
L
L
Zhao
J
J
Qiao
Z
Z
Frank
W
W
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000469:parasitology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013739:Testosterone