Increased levels of cortisol are associated with the severity of experimental visceral leishmaniasis in a Leishmania (L.) infantum-hamster model.

Background: Several infectious diseases are associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disorders by elevating circulating glucocorticoids (GCs), which are known to have an immunosuppressive potential. We conducted this study in golden hamsters, a suitable model for human visceral leishmaniasis (VL), to investigate the relationship of Leishmania (L.) infantum infection on cortisol production and VL severity.

A Cytokine Network Balance Influences the Fate of Infection in a Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Hamster Model.

The golden hamster is a suitable model for studying cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) due to ()  Immunopathological mechanisms are well established in the -mouse model, in which IL-4 instructs a Th2 response towards progressive infection. In the present study, we evaluated the natural history of   infection from its first stages up to lesion establishment, with the aim of identifying immunological parameters associated with the disease outcome and parasitism fate. To this end, hamsters infected with 10, 10, or 10 promastigotes were monitored during the first hours (4h, 24h), early (15 days, 30 days) and late (50 days) post-infection (pi) phases.

Development of real-time PCR assays for evaluation of immune response and parasite load in golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) infected by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis.

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected disease with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from small cutaneous nodules to severe mucosal tissue destruction. Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is the main species attributed to CL in the Americas. However, studies of experimental infection are limited in the murine model due to the self-resolutive pattern of the disease.

Intranasal vaccination with leishmanial antigens protects golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) against Leishmania (Viannia) Braziliensis infection.

Background: Previous results have shown that oral and intranasal administration of particulate Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis antigens (LaAg) partially protects mice against L. amazonensis infection. However, vaccination studies on species of the subgenus Viannia, the main causative agent of cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis in the Americas, have been hampered by the lack of easy-to-handle bio-models that accurately mimic the human disease.