title: Divergence between hepatic insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I mRNA expression and IGF-I serum levels in Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi-infected dogs.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused in the New World by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi has dog as important peridomestic reservoir in its transmission cycle. Since VL in infected animals is similar to human VL, its study is interesting for human pathology. During Leishmania infection, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plays a role in the host-parasite interaction, favoring parasite growth, particularly acting directly on Leishmania. We evaluated IGF-I mRNA expression in different organs/tissues, which was differently modulated in dogs naturally infected by L. (L.) infantum chagasi. We also evaluated the hepatic IGF-I mRNA and serum IGF-I levels in infected dogs. Hepatic mRNA IGF-I expression was higher in the infected dogs than in control animals. However, the serum levels of IGF-I, which are related to the production of this factor in the liver, were reduced in the infected dogs compared with the non-infected controls. Thus, we suggest interference in post-transcriptional processing in IGF-I production in active visceral leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Patologia Animal, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal do Piauí, 64049-550, Campus Socopo, S/N, Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flaviane A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.forename: Nilton A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Kleverton R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Aline A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Fernando L L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Eduardo M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ramos-Sanchez
authors.forename: Hiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Francisco A L
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I