Evaluation of gene expression of toll-like receptors and NOD-like receptors in polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells in the peripheral blood of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis

• Grant number: 12/25249-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Gisele Fabrino Machado
• Grantee: José Eduardo dos Santos Silva
• Supervisor: Gabriela Maria Santos-Gomes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/15523-3 - Encephalic inflammatory changes and the correlation with lymphocytes and dendritic cells population in lymphonodes of the head of dogs with visceral leishmaniosis., BP.MS

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis caused by Leishmania chagasi (= L. infantum). In dog, main domestic reservoir, Leishmania is efficient in modifying the immune response of the host. The innate immune system detects microorganisms through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors and NOD-like receptors, recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The objective of this study is performing the absolute quantification of gene expression of these receptors in mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells. Therefore, the gene expression will be evaluated by real time RT-PCR in the receptors Toll 2, Toll 4, Toll 9, NOD 1 and NOD 2 in monocytes, neutrophils and B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of infected and healthy dogs, considering that the level of expression of these receptors can provide new insights in the pathways where the parasite Leishmania induce the activation of the innate immune system and, eventually, the activation of acquired immune system. (AU)