Oral immunization with heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis reduces local parasite dissemination and hepatic granuloma development in mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis
Investigation published in Research in Veterinary Science
September 1st, 2023
Aiming to explore whether oral immunization with heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (HIMB) protects mice against Leishmania infection, 18 female BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to the immunized group, that received oral HIMB, or the control group, and were infected by inoculation of 10,000 Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes in the footpad. Spleen culture was positive in 55.55% of immunized mice and in 100% of control mice (p = 0.082). The number of immunolabeled amastigotes number in the popliteal lymph node was lower in the immunized group (p = 0.009). The immunized group presented fewer mature granulomas in the liver (p = 0.005) and more Lys + macrophages (p = 0.002) and fewer CD3+ T lymphocytes (p < 0.001) per hepatic granuloma. We conclude that immunization with HIMB via the oral route limited local parasite dissemination and hepatic granuloma development in mice challenged with Leishmania amazonensis through stimulation of macrophages, which is compatible with trained immunity
Ferreras-Colino E., Moreno I., Gortazar C., Sevilla I., Agullo-Ros I., Dominguez L., Juste R., Risalde MA. and Dominguez M.
 | Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio). Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC). Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Universidad de Castilla La Mancha (UCLM). Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM). |
 | Servicio de Inmunología. Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). |
 | Animal Health Department. Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario (NEIKER). Gobierno Vasco. |
 | Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de Córdoba (UCO). |
 | Servicio de Micobacterias (MYC). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). |
