Leishmania chagasi: effect of the iron deficiency on the infection in BALB/c mice.
Iron deficiency and visceral leishmaniasis are serious problems of public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of iron deficiency, induced by the iron chelator desferrioxamine, on the course of the infection by Leishmania chagasi in BALB/c mice. Our data show that the iron chelator caused significant reduction in hemoglobin concentration of treated mice and reduction in parasite load in spleen and liver. Significant differences were not observed in the production of IFN-gamma and IL-4 among the experimental groups. In conclusion, the data reported in this paper suggest that iron deficiency may favor the host. If there is not enough iron available to the parasite, its multiplication may be reduced and infection attenuated.
Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano-Campus Urutaí (IF Goiano), Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Ambientais e Biológicas, Rodovia Geraldo Nascimento Silva, 2.5km, Zona Rural, CEP 75790-000, Urutaí, GO, Brazil. guilherme@nupeb.ufop.br
Guilherme
G
Malafaia
Letícia de Nadai
Lde N
Marcon
Liliane de Fátima
Lde F
Pereira
Maria Lúcia
ML
Pedrosa
Simone Aparecida
SA
Rezende
D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011897:Random Allocation; D017262:Siderophores / Q000633:toxicity; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology
D016207:Cytokines; D006454:Hemoglobins; D017262:Siderophores; D003676:Deferoxamine