Atomic Force Microscopy of host cell-amastigote interaction in cutaneous leishmaniasis

• Main Authors: Lugo de Yarbuh A, Colasante C, Alarcón M, Moreno E
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Zulia,Facultad de Medicina,Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Tropicales 2004
• Subjects: Microscopía de fuerza atómica; Leishmania garnhami; lesiones cutáneas; amastigotes; macrófagos; linfocitos; imagen 3D; Atomic force microscopy; amastigo- te; macrophage; lymphocyte; 3D image; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Entrada
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/eb8ae88dee594ab1b56beb8eeef09709

Abstract: Natural infection produced by the entry of promastigotes into the skin cells induces cutaneous leishmaniasis disease and the Interaction between phagocytic cells and different strains of Leishmania determine the course of disease in the mammalian host. In this study the cutaneous lesions from hamsters infected with the L. garnhami were pressed on a microscope slide, allowed to dry and methanol-fixed in order to be ultrastructurally analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Free amastigotes showed their nucleus, kinetoplast and a depression of 5 microns, corresponding to the refractil organelle characteristic of this Leishmania. Parasites inside macrophages and lymphocytes and the topographical relationship with the host cytoplasm was also observed. Parasite-host-cell interaction revealed different membrane contact. The amastigote-macrophage contact is established by small macrophage filopodio associated with its cytoplasmic reduction near the contact site of 800 nm. The amastigote-lymphocyte contact shows fusion-like behavior between the two membranes without any cell specialization. The cutaneous lesion studied with AFM allowed observation with high resolution the close contact established between the parasite and its host cells as well as details of the fine structure of the amastigotes, applying a simple and rapid tissue preparation. Resumen: La infección natural producida por la entrada de promastigotes en la piel produce leishmaniasis cutánea y la interacción entre las células fagocíticas y las diferentes cepas de Leishmania determina el curso de la enfermedad en el hospedador vertebrado. En este estudio las lesiones cutáneas de hamsteres infectados con L. garnhami fueron frotadas sobre un portaobjeto, secadas a temperatura ambiente y fijadas con metanol para analizarlas ultraestructuralmente usando un microscopio de fuerza atómica (AFM). Los amastigotes mostraron el núcleo, kinetoplasto y una depresión de 5µ, correspondiente a la organela refráctil característica de esta especie. Los ...