Persistence of Leishmania antigen in C57Bl/6j inbred mice infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

Abstract

PURPOSE: To develop an animal model for studying mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. METHODS: The hind footpad of C57Bl/6j inbred mice was experimentally infected with 10(7) Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis promastigote and the skin was studied through light and electron transmission microscopy and immunohistochemistry (PAP) techniques. RESULTS: There were morphological evidences of cellular immune mechanisms and hypersensitivity reaction after eight weeks of infection and metastasis and well shaped parasites at ultrastructural level by fifty-one weeks post infection. Relapse of infection with mucosa lesions occurred around the 50th week after inoculation. CONCLUSION: The use of this animal model in long term follow up could be an useful experimental model for human mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.