title: Detection and chronology of parasitic kinetoplast DNA presence in hair of experimental Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice by Real Time PCR.
abstract: Hair can accumulate foreign chemical or biological substances. Recently, it has been reported that parasite DNA can also be detected in the hair of Leishmania infantum infected dogs. The aim of this work has been to find out whether parasite DNA incorporates in the hair of Leishmania major experimentally infected animals. For this purpose, a group of 4 BALB/c mice, intradermally inoculated in both ears with 1000 L. major V1 strain promastigote forms, was monitored for parameters associated to the infection during 35 days. Weekly, ear swelling was measured, and hair samples from ears and leg were collected. Blood samples were obtained before challenge and at day 35 post infection, when parasite load was measured in ear, lymph node and spleen by limit dilution. Ear swelling and other parameters observed in the infected mice were consistent with those described for this model. The presence of parasite kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) was detected by Real Time PCR in all ear and leg hair samples at the final timepoint. These data suggests that hair is a specialized tissue in the sequestration and removal of foreign DNA. Detection of DNA in hair could be, therefore, a useful tool to chronologically record the infection process during experimental mice assays.
authors.affiliation: LeishmanCeres Laboratory (GLP Compliance Certified). Parasitology Unit. Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, 10003 Cáceres, Spain. Electronic address: leishmanceres@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Iniesta
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belinchón-Lorenzo
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Cotrina
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Madrid
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Monroy
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baz
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Luque
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Parejo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Luis Carlos Gómez
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Nieto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000469:parasitology*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Hair; Keratinocytes; Kinetoplast DNA (kDNA); Leishmania major; Mice; Real time PCR