title: Effect of testosterone on Leishmania donovani infection levels of murine bone marrow derived-macrophages.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone