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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
In vivo Imaging of Transgenic Leishmania Parasites in a Live Host
Published on: July 27, 2010
FVB/NJ strain as a mouse model for cutaneous leishmaniasis by Leishmania (L.) amazonensis
Guilherme Moreira Paiva Carrara1, Beatriz Simonsen Stolf1
1Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Background:
Leishmaniases encompass a spectrum of neglected diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, grouped in two forms: tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis.
Objectives:
In this study, we propose Friend Virus B NIH Jackson (FVB/NJ) mouse strain as a new experimental model of infection with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, the second most prevalent agent of tegumentary leishmaniasis in Brazil.
Methods And Findings:
We performed in vitro infections of FVB/NJ macrophages and compared them with BALB/c macrophages, showing that BALB/c cells have higher infection percentages and a higher number of amastigotes/cell. Phagocytosis assays indicated that BALB/c and FVB/NJ macrophages have similar capacity to uptake parasites after 5 min incubations. We also investigated promastigotes' resistance to sera from FVB/NJ and BALB/c and observed no difference between the two sera, even though FVB/NJ has a deficiency in complement components. Finally, we subcutaneously infected FVB/NJ and BALB/c mice with 2 × 106 parasites expressing luciferase. Analysis of lesion development for 12 weeks showed that FVB/NJ and BALB/c mice have similar lesion profiles and parasite burdens.
Main Conclusions:
This work characterises for the first time the FVB/NJ mouse as a new model for tegumentary leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (L.) amazonensis.
