Project description:Hepatic resistance to Leishmania donovani infection in mice is associated with the development of granulomas, in which a variety of lymphoid and non-lymphoid populations accumulate. Although previous studies have identified B cells in hepatic granulomas and functional studies in B cell-deficient mice have suggested a role for B cells in the control of experimental visceral leishmaniasis, little is known about the behaviour of B cells in the granuloma microenvironment. Here, we first compared the hepatic B cell population in infected mice, where ≈60% of B cells are located within granulomas, with that of naïve mice. In infected mice, there was a small increase in mIgM(lo)mIgD(+) mature B2 cells, but no enrichment of B cells with regulatory phenotype or function compared to the naïve hepatic B cell population, as assessed by CD1d and CD5 expression and by IL-10 production. Using 2-photon microscopy to quantify the entire intra-granuloma B cell population, in conjunction with the adoptive transfer of polyclonal and HEL-specific BCR-transgenic B cells isolated from L. donovani-infected mice, we demonstrated that B cells accumulate in granulomas over time in an antigen-independent manner. Intra-vital dynamic imaging was used to demonstrate that within the polyclonal B cell population obtained from L. donovani-infected mice, the frequency of B cells that made multiple long contacts with endogenous T cells was greater than that observed using HEL-specific B cells obtained from the same inflammatory environment. These data indicate, therefore, that a subset of this polyclonal B cell population is capable of making cognate interactions with T cells within this unique environment, and provide the first insights into the dynamics of B cells within an inflammatory site.
Project description:Transcriptional analysis of complex biological scenarios has been used extensively, even though sometimes the results of such analysis may prove imprecise or difficult to interpret due to an overwhelming amount of information. In this study, a large-scale real-time qPCR experiment was coupled to multivariate statistical analysis in order to describe the main immunological events underlying the early L. infantum infection in livers of BALB/c mice. High-throughput qPCR was used to evaluate the expression of 223 genes related to immunological response and metabolism 1, 3, 5, and 10 days post infection. This integrative analysis showed strikingly different gene signatures at 1 and 10 days post infection, revealing the progression of infection in the experimental model based on the upregulation of particular immunological response patterns and mediators. The gene signature 1 day post infection was not only characterized by the upregulation of mediators involved in interferon signaling and cell chemotaxis, but also the upregulation of some inhibitory markers. In contrast, at 10 days post infection, the upregulation of many inflammatory and Th1 markers characterized a more defined gene signature with the upregulation of mediators in the IL-12 signaling pathway. Our results reveal a significant connection between the expression of innate immune response and metabolic and inhibitory markers in early L. infantum infection of the liver.
Project description:Hemophagocytosis is a phenomenon in which macrophages phagocytose blood cells. There are reports on up-regulated hemophagocytosis in patients with infectious diseases including typhoid fever, tuberculosis, influenza and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). However, mechanisms of infection-associated hemophagocytosis remained elusive due to a lack of appropriate animal models. Here, we have established a mouse model of VL with hemophagocytosis. At 24 weeks after infection with 1 x 10(7) Leishmania donovani promastigotes, BALB/cA mice exhibited splenomegaly with an average tissue weight per body weight of 2.96%. In the tissues, 28.6% of macrophages contained phagocytosed erythrocytes. All of the hemophagocytosing macrophages were parasitized by L. donovani, and higher levels of hemophagocytosis was observed in heavily infected cells. Furthermore, more than half of these hemophagocytes had two or more macrophage-derived nuclei, whereas only 15.0% of splenic macrophages were bi- or multi-nuclear. These results suggest that direct infection by L. donovani causes hyper-activation of host macrophages to engulf blood cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report on hemophagocytosis in experimental Leishmania infections and may be useful for further understanding of the pathogenesis.
Project description:Transcriptional analysis of complex biological scenarios has been used extensively, even though sometimes the results of such analysis may prove imprecise or difficult to interpret due to an overwhelming amount of information. In this study, a large-scale real-time qPCR experiment was coupled to multivariate statistical analysis in order to describe the main immunological events underlying the early L. infantum infection in livers of BALB/c mice. High-throughput qPCR was used to evaluate the expression of 223 genes related to immunological response and metabolism 1, 3, 5, and 10 days post infection. This integrative analysis showed strikingly different gene signatures at 1 and 10 days post infection, revealing the progression of infection in the experimental model based on the upregulation of particular immunological response patterns and mediators. The gene signature 1 day post infection was not only characterized by the upregulation of mediators involved in interferon signaling and cell chemotaxis, but also the upregulation of some inhibitory markers. In contrast, at 10 days post infection, the upregulation of many inflammatory and Th1 markers characterized a more defined gene signature with the upregulation of mediators in the IL-12 signaling pathway. Our results reveal a significant connection between the expression of innate immune response and metabolic and inhibitory markers in early L. infantum infection of the liver.
Project description:BackgroundCaseating granulomas are often associated with a mycobacterial infection (TB) and are thought to be exceedingly rare in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). However, no large series has accurately documented the incidence of caseating granulomas in CL.MethodsA multiregional cohort consisting of 317 patients with CL [Syria (157), Pakistan (66), Lebanon (47), Saudi Arabia (43), Ethiopia (2) and Iran (2)] was reviewed. Clinical [age, sex, disease duration, lesion type and geographic and anatomic location] and microscopic data [presence of and type of granuloma, Ridley's parasitic index (PI) and pattern (RP)] were documented. Presence of microorganisms was evaluated using special stains (GMS, PAS, AFB and Gram) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for TB and CL. All cases included in this study were confirmed as CL by PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for molecular speciation and were negative for other organisms by all other studies performed. Categorical and continuous factors were compared for granuloma types using Chi-square, t-test or Mann-Whitney test as appropriate.ResultsGranulomas were identified in 195 (61.5%) cases of CL and these were divided to 49 caseating (25.2%), 9 suppurative (4.6%) and 137 tuberculoid without necrosis (70.2%). Caseating and tuberculoid granuloma groups were significantly different in terms of the geographical source, with more cases harboring caseating granulomas in Saudi Arabia (p<0.0001). Histologically, both groups were also different in the distribution of their RP (p<0.0001) with a doubling RP3 in caseating granulomas (31% vs. 15%) as opposed to doubling of RP5 in tuberculoid granuloma group (38% vs. 19%). Time needed to achieve healing (RP5) was notably shorter in tuberculoid vs. caseating group (4.0 vs. 6.2 months). Parasitic Index, CL species and other considered variables did not differ for the granuloma type groups.ConclusionIn our multiregional large cohort, a notable 18.2% of all CL cases harbored caseating granulomas therefore; CL should be considered part of the differential diagnosis for cases with caseating granulomas in endemic regions, especially considering that the regions included in our cohort are also endemic for TB. Of note, cases of CL with caseating granulomas also showed a slower healing process, with no association with specific species, which may be due to worse host immune response in such cases or to a more aggressive leishmania strains.
Project description:We report that natural killer T (NKT) cells play only a minor physiological role in protection from Leishmania donovani infection in C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, attempts at therapeutic activation of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells with alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) during L. donovani infection exacerbated, rather than ameliorated, experimental visceral leishmaniasis. The inability of alpha-GalCer to promote anti-parasitic immunity did not result from inefficient antigen presentation caused by infection because alpha-GalCer-loaded bone marrow-derived dendritic cells were also unable to improve disease resolution. The immune-dampening affect of alpha-GalCer correlated with a bias towards increased IL-4 production by iNKT cells following alpha-GalCer stimulation in infected mice compared to naïve controls. However, studies in IL-4-deficient mice, and IL-4 neutralisation in cytokine-sufficient mice revealed that alpha-GalCer-induced IL-4 production during infection had only a minor role in impaired parasite control. Analysis of liver cell composition following alpha-GalCer stimulation during an established L. donovani infection revealed important differences, predominantly a decrease in IFNgamma+ CD8+ T cells, compared with control-treated mice. Our data clearly illustrate the double-edged sword of NKT cell-based therapy, showing that in some circumstances, such as when sub-clinical or chronic infections exist, iNKT cell activation can have adverse outcomes.
Project description:Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by Leishmania infantum or L. donovani infection. One of the main problems related to this disease is the emergence of severe clinical forms with a lethality of 5-20%, even while under specific treatment. In humans and other species susceptible to fatal VL, such as dogs and hamsters, the disruption of splenic white pulp (WP) is accompanied by disease progression. Control of VL progression is seen in BALB/c mice, as evidenced by a mild clinical presentation and controlled parasite replication in the liver and spleen. In this study, we investigated the features involved in the morphological remodeling of splenic compartments associated with the control of VL progression to death. Methods: We evaluated cohorts of BALB/c mice after 30, 60, and 90 days of infection by L. infantum. Spleen morphology, cell population subsets and cytokine production were studied in the spleen using flow- and histo-cytometry. Results: Intraperitoneal infection with 108 promastigotes of L. infantum led to progressive increases in spleen size at 60 and 90 days after infection. Splenomegaly was the only clinical sign of disease observed. At 30 days after infection, hyperplasia in the WP and decreased numbers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells were observed. The WP hyperplasia subsided at 60 days post-infection. However, the splenomegaly remained in association with increased numbers of macrophages, B and T lymphocytes and plasma cells. An increased number of lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells was observed; these were distributed around the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath in control mice and scattered throughout the red pulp in the Leishmania-infected mice. After 90 days of infection, increased IL-6 and IFN-? production was seen in the spleen, as well as higher frequencies of follicular and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Conclusion: The data presented herein emphasizes the potential role of spleen remodeling in the control of severe forms of VL and highlights features potentially involved in this process.
Project description:Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form of leishmaniasis caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Hepatomegaly is one of the most frequent clinical manifestations of VL, whereas immunopathology of the symptom has not been well investigated. Using our chronic model of experimental VL, we examined the influence of Leishmania donovani infection on the liver by clinical, histological, and biochemical analyses. The infected mice showed increased liver weight 24 weeks post-infection. Although an increase in serum ALT and inflammatory cell accumulation were observed in the livers of infected mice, no apparent parenchymal necrosis or fibrosis was observed. Tissue water content analyses demonstrated that increased liver weight was predominantly due to an increase in water weight. Together with the finding of hepatic sinusoidal dilation, these results suggested that edema associated with sinusoidal dilation causes hepatomegaly in L. donovani infection. Immunostaining of platelets and erythrocytes showed no thrombus formation or damage to the sinusoidal endothelium in the liver of infected mice. Taken together, these results suggest that hepatomegaly during experimental VL is caused by non-obstructive sinusoidal dilation.
Project description:Progressive splenomegaly is a hallmark of visceral leishmaniasis in humans, canids, and rodents. In experimental murine visceral leishmaniasis, splenomegaly is accompanied by pronounced changes in microarchitecture, including expansion of the red pulp vascular system, neovascularization of the white pulp, and remodeling of the stromal cell populations that define the B-cell and T-cell compartments. Here, we show that Ly6C/G(+) (Gr-1(+)) cells, including neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes, accumulate in the splenic red pulp during infection. Cell depletion using monoclonal antibody against either Ly6C/G(+) (Gr-1; RB6) or Ly6G(+) (1A8) cells increased parasite burden. In contrast, depletion of Ly6C/G(+) cells, but not Ly6G(+) cells, halted the progressive remodeling of Meca-32(+) and CD31(+) red pulp vasculature. Strikingly, neither treatment affected white pulp neovascularization or the remodeling of the fibroblastic reticular cell and follicular dendritic cell networks. These findings demonstrate a previously unrecognized compartment-dependent selectivity to the process of splenic vascular remodeling during experimental murine visceral leishmaniasis, attributable to Ly6C(+) inflammatory monocytes.
Project description:Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the flagellated protozoa of the genus Leishmania that affects millions of people around the world. Drugs employed in the treatment of leishmaniasis have limited efficacy and induce local and systemic side effects to the patients. Natural products are an interesting alternative to treat leishmaniasis, because some purified molecules are selective toward parasites and not to the host cells. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare the in vitro antileishmanial activity of the triterpenes betulin (Be), lupeol (Lu), and ursolic acid (UA); analyze the physiology and morphology of affected organelles; analyze the toxicity of selected triterpenes in golden hamsters; and study the therapeutic activity of triterpenes in hamsters infected with L. (L.) infantum as well as the cellular immunity induced by studied molecules. The triterpenes Lu and UA were active on promastigote (IC50 = 4.0 ± 0.3 and 8.0 ± 0.2 μM, respectively) and amastigote forms (IC50 = 17.5 ± 0.4 and 3.0 ± 0.2 μM, respectively) of L. (L.) infantum, and their selectivity indexes (SI) toward amastigote forms were higher (≥13.4 and 14, respectively) than SI of miltefosine (2.7). L. (L.) infantum promastigotes treated with Lu and UA showed cytoplasmic degradation, and in some of these areas, cell debris were identified, resembling autophagic vacuoles, and parasite mitochondria were swelled, fragmented, and displayed membrane potential altered over time. Parasite cell membrane was not affected by studied triterpenes. Studies of toxicity in golden hamster showed that Lu did not alter blood biochemical parameters associated with liver and kidney functions; however, a slight increase of aspartate aminotransferase level in animals treated with 2.5 mg/kg of UA was detected. Lu and UA triterpenes eliminated amastigote forms in the spleen (87.5 and 95.9% of reduction, respectively) and liver of infected hamster (95.9 and 99.7% of reduction, respectively); and UA showed similar activity at eliminating amastigote forms in the spleen and liver than amphotericin B (99.2 and 99.8% of reduction). The therapeutic activity of both triterpenes was associated with the elevation of IFN-γ and/or iNOS expression in infected treated animals. This is the first comparative work showing the in vitro activity, toxicity, and therapeutic activity of Lu and UA in the chronic model of visceral leishmaniasis caused by L. (L.) infantum; additionally, both triterpenes activated cellular immune response in the hamster model of visceral leishmaniasis.