Histopathological studies of visceralized Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in mice experimentally infected

BALB/c, C57BL/6, and DBA/2 mice were subcutaneously infected in the left footpad by injecting 104 Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis amastigotes. Mice were sacrificed 20, 30, 40, 60 and 90 days post-infection. Fragments of liver, kidney, spleen, skin, and draining lymph node were collected for histological examination. Light microscopy showed that at 20 days after infection BALB/c mice presented discrete inflammatory infiltrates in the skin made up of eosinophils, lymphocytes, and rare parasitized macrophages. Ninety days post-infection, the dermis showed necrotic tissue, large numbers of mononuclear cells and vacuolated macrophages filled with amastigotes. Forty days post-infection, the draining lymph nodes showed hyperplastic germinal centers, increase of high endothelial venules and apoptosis in germinal center cells. After the first 3 months post-infection, the involvement of spleen, kidney and liver was discreet, being characterized by multifocal inflammatory infiltrates. Eight months after infection, the animals presented metastatic lesions in the contralateral footpad and nose. In deep dermis, there was remarkable proliferation of fibroblasts associated with collagen fibers. The liver showed multifocal granulomas and mononuclear infiltrate around the blood vessels, but no parasites were observed, except in one animal. In some mice there were immature cells of the hematopoietic lineage. Both BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice presented osteonecrosis, which is characterized by pycnotic osteocytes and empty lacunae at the point of inoculation and subsequently, replacement of this tissue by fibrous connective tissue and colonization of the bone marrow. A diffuse inflammatory process composed of mononuclear cells and rare parasites were seen in the kidneys. In one mouse, bone marrow cells were observed in the renal medulla along with where free amastigotes. DBA/2 mice developed a mild infection and they did not visceralize. In conclusion, our data demonstrates that in susceptible mice L. (L.) amazonensis, a causative agent of tegumentary leishmaniasis, causes pathological changes similar to those produced by Leishmania (L.) infantum in both humans and canids. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.