Tissue apoptosis in mice infected with Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae

Author(s)

Márcia Marinho ^[1] ; Cilene Vidovix Táparo ^[2] ; Itamar S. Oliveira Júnior ^[3] ; Silvia Helena Venturoli Perri ^[4] ; Tereza Cristina Cardoso ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Veterinary Medicine School. Department of Support, Production and Animal Health - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Veterinary Medicine School. Department of Support, Production and Animal Health - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Department of Inflammatory Mediators, Anesthesiology, Pain and Intensive Care - Brasil

^[4] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Veterinary Medicine School. Department of Support, Production and Animal Health - Brasil

^[5] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Veterinary Medicine School. Department of Support, Production and Animal Health - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases; v. 21, p. 1-6, 2015-08-11.

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title><sec><title>Background:</title><p>This investigation aimed to evaluate the occurrence of some apoptotic features induced by <italic>Leptospira interrogans</italic> serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae infection in young BALB/c mice during 2, 4, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days post-infection (dpi).</p></sec><sec><title>Methods:</title><p>The animals were euthanized and lung, liver and kidneys were harvested to histopathology analysis and immunohistochemistry to caspase-3 antigen detection was performed.</p></sec><sec><title>Results:</title><p>Chromatin condensation in kidney and liver tissues, but not in lung tissue, was observed. Caspase-3 reactive cells, mainly characterized as renal epithelial cells, were detected in the days 14 and 21 at high levels when compared to days 2,4 and 7 (p = 0.025; p <0.05). Lung sections revealed caspase-3 labeled alveolar cells in 10 and 14 days post-infection was higher than observed at 7 days (p = 0.0497; p < 0.05). Liver sections demonstrated reactive cells at a highest level at 14 and 21 days post-infection when comparison to 2,4, 7 and 10 days (p = 0.0069; p<0.05).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions:</title><p>Our results suggest that infection of L <italic>interrogans</italic> induce in kidney, liver and lung an activation of apoptosis mediated by caspase-3 dependent pathway in later phases of infectious process.</p></sec> (AU)