Extracellular matrix alterations in experimental Leishmania amazonensis infection in susceptible and resistant mice.
Leishmania is inoculated, by the bite of an infected sandfly, into the skin of the host, where the promastigotes are phagocyted by dermal macrophages. The dermal region comprises cells and abundant extracellular matrix. Studies show that matrix metalloproteinases play an important role in host defense responses against pathogens in mammals and that their activities lead to the production of antimicrobial peptides. The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes in the distribution of fibronectin and laminin as well as in the elastic system fibres during the course of infection caused by Leishmania amazonensis in mice with distinct genetic backgrounds of susceptibility to this parasite. The results showed that BALB/c presented an enhancement of fibronectin during the course of infection when compared to their control group while the infected or non-infected C3H.He showed a decrease of this protein at end of the experiment. Laminin, on the other hand, remained unaltered in both strains. Also in both BALB/c and C3H.He mice the elastic and elaunin fibres remained unchanged while the oxytalan fibres decreased along the experiment. Ninety days after the infection C3H.He mice had recovered their capacity to produce oxytalan fibres.
Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Pavilhão 108, Av, Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, CEP 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. calabrese@ioc.fiocruz.br.
Mariana
M
Silva-Almeida
Luiz Op
LO
Carvalho
Ana L
AL
Abreu-Silva
Celeste Sf
CS
Souza
Daiana J
DJ
Hardoim
Kátia S
KS
Calabrese
D000818:Animals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D007891:Leishmania / Q000502:physiology; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal
D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens; D005353:Fibronectins; D007797:Laminin