title: [Cyclosporine A effect in mice C57BL/6 infected with Encephalitozoon intestinalis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Encephalitozoon intestinalis, a parasite belonging to the phylum Microsporidia, is causes gastrointestinal infections in the immunocompromised host. A suitable pharmacologically immunosuppressed animal model for the study of natural E. intestinalis infection, which can establish the immune components that respond to this parasite, is lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of immunosuuppression with Cyclosporine A (CsA) in C57BL/ 6 mice on experimental infection with E. intestinalis infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty C57BL/6 mice were distributed in four treatment groups: Control, CsA-immunosuppressed mice without infection, immunocompetent and immunossuppressed mice infected with E. intestinalis. Mice were immunosuppressed with a weekly dose of 50 mg/Kg body weight of CsA, during the course of the study. Five mice from each group were sacrificed 2, 3, 4 and 6 weeks post-infection, to obtain blood for antibody testing and stool samples were analyzed to assess excretion of spores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Production of specific IgG antibodies was significantly higher in the immunocompetent group as compared to the immunosuppressed group of experimentally infected mice. In the infected mice, parasites were not observed in any tissues different from the small intestine. However, spore excretion through the stool and duodenal liquid was higher in the group of immunosuppresed infected mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunosuppression induced with CsA in the murine model did not allow parasite dissemination and illness progression, but raised kinetics of spore excretion and decreased the production of IgG antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. agalvandiaz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ana Luz
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Galván
authors.forename: Sonia del Pilar
authors.initials: Sdel P
authors.lastname: Agudelo
authors.forename: Juan Gonzalo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Restrepo
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.forename: Luisa Alejandra
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Galviz
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Botero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016819:Encephalitozoon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine