Although BALB/c mice develop lesions when infected with Leishmania mexicana, the mechanisms which are responsible for susceptibility to this parasite have not been elucidated. In contrast, susceptibility of BALB/c mice to Leishmania major has been shown to depend on the early production of interleukin-4 (IL-4) by T cells which react to the parasitic LACK antigen. Here, we demonstrate that the l...

While C57BL/6 mice infected in the ear with L. major mount a vigorous Th1 response and resolve their lesions, the Th1 response in C57BL/6 mice infected with L. mexicana is more limited, resulting in chronic, non-healing lesions. The aim of this study was to determine if the limited immune response following infection with L. mexicana is related to a deficiency in the ability of monocyte-derived...

Invasive exotic plant species (IEPS) is recognized as threat to the native biodiversity and leads loss of habitat for indigenous on earth. Invasions not only tear down but have adverse impacts economy human health. Many documented records from Western countries connected with alien revealed altered ecosystem services socio-economic conditions via diverse mode actions. Even though, ecological we...

The experimental model of high-dose Leishmania mexicana infection is used frequently to study molecular mechanisms regulating Th2 response since most inbred mice regardless of their genetic background display Th2 cytokine-dependent susceptibility to L. mexicana unlike Leishmania major. Here, we analyzed the course of L. mexicana infection in BALB/c, C57BL/6 and CBA/J mouse strains using low-dos...

The role of interleukin-12 (IL-12) has been clearly established in the resistance of C57BL/6 (B6) mice to Leishmania major infection, but its involvement in the control of Leishmania mexicana infection remains to be determined. Here, we show the following. (i) L. mexicana, in contrast to L. major, induces the development of nonhealing lesions in B6 mice. (ii) Cells expressing IL-12p40, gamma in...

C3H mice infected with Leishmania mexicana fail to develop a protective Th1 response, and are unable to cure. In this study, we show that L. mexicana cysteine proteases suppress the antileishmanial immune response. Previous studies demonstrated that deletion of the entire multicopy cysteine protease B (CPB) gene array in L. mexicana is associated with decreased parasite virulence, potentially a...

A leishmania parasite was isolated from Didelphis marsupialis aurita trapped in the municipality of Conchas in the state of São Paulo (YOSHIDA et al. 1979, Rev. Inst. Med. trop. São Paulo 21 (2 ) : 110-113). This isolate has now been analysed at the genotypic and phenotypic levels. Zymodeme analysis using agarose gel electrophoresis and 6 enzymes (ALAT, ASAT, MDH, G6PDH, GPI & PGM) showed that ...