Abstract

BRUZUAL, Elizabeth; ARCAY, Lucila  and  DE LA PARTE-PEREZ, María Antonia. Tissue dissemination and histopathology effects produced by Leishmania mexicana amazonensis in rodents experimentally infected. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2008, vol.28, n.2, pp.139-144. ISSN 1315-2556.

Leishmania comprises different species responsible of a variety of clinical forms of leishmaniasis. In this investigation we compared the histopathological effects produced in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) and mice (Mus musculus), inoculated by the subcutaneous route with 20 x 10⁵ amastigotes of Leishmania mexicana amazonensis. Our results in hamsters show tissue damage in gut, scrotum, testicle, epididimus, spleen, liver, kidney, heart and lung and in mice we found histopathological changes in testicle, spleen, kidney and heart. These results show differences on tissue dissemination, cutaneous metastasis, histopathological effects and mortality, being more extensive, early and severe in hamsters then in mice.

Keywords : Leishmania mexicana amazonensis; dissemination; histopathology; rodents.