Histopathology of paracoccidioidomycotic infection in athymic and euthymic mice: a sequential study

We report the comparative and sequential histologic analysis of lesions developed by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis-infected athymic and euthymic BALB/c mice, using conventional and specific stain to characterize the morphology of fungi and inflammatory cells as well as the extracellular matrix patterns. In both groups, neutrophils and macrophages were the predominant cells; macrophage transition to giant and epithelioid cells was observed. Degenerated fungi and fungal dust were associated with local neutropil infiltration and the presence of pseudoxantomatous macrophages. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis are always found within an extracellular matrix microenvironment. The main differences between lesions developed by nu/+ and nude (nu/nu) mice resided in the more pronounced encapsulating tendency in the former ones. In both groups of animals, lesions in several organs were associated with extensive hemopoiesis. At the first week of infection, there was evidence of fungal destruction and control of its proliferation in both mouse groups. At the fourth and seventh weeks, nu/+ mice maintained the control of the infection, as shown by the scarce numbers of budding yeast cells, while experimental nu/nu mice showed a tumor-like progression of the disease with a striking increase in fungal load in many organs (e.g., omental and mesenteric milky spots, lymph nodes, spleen), some of which present their structure replaced by granulomatous lesions.