title: Aluminium: a natural adjuvant in Leishmania transmission via sand flies?
abstract: Genetically identical Leishmania chagasi/infantum parasites cause both atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis. In this report we have tested the first part of a hypothesis that states that the form of this disease that is manifested depends upon the adjuvant-like activity of aluminium of dietary origin accumulated in the salivary gland of the sand fly vector. In sand flies fed aluminium-supplemented sucrose we have used histochemistry to qualitatively identify aluminium in their salivary glands and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry to quantify the aluminium content of dissected salivary glands. Aluminium may be acting as a natural adjuvant in some forms of leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology-Research Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.
authors.forename: Rhayza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maingon
authors.forename: Amandeep
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khela
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Exley
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D000535:Aluminum / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000254:growth & development*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000254:growth & development; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000535:Aluminum