Received: November 9, 2004, Accepted: March 31, 2005, Published online: October 30, 2005.

USE OF Cavia porcellus (GUINEA PIGS) AS AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL FOR Leishmania (Viannia)  braziliensis

PAULA C. D. R. (1), FRIEDMAN H. (1), SAMPAIO R. N. R. (1)

(1) School of Medicine, University of Brasília, UnB, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Laboratory animals are fundamental to study immunological aspects and the efficacy of new drugs to treat leishmaniasis. However, we do not have practical and good animal models to study leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis -L(V)b. In this study, thirty-two experimental animals (Cavia porcellus) were injected in the hind foot with 3x105 promastigote forms of L(V)b. The animals were followed for eight weeks. None of the experimental animals developed lesions or presented the parasite in any of the tests performed (histopathological exam, smears, culture, inoculation in hamsters, and polymerase chain reaction).

KEY WORDS: experimental leishmaniasis, Cavia, animal model, American leishmaniasis, pathogenesis.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

CARMEM DÉA RIBEIRO DE PAULA, Laboratório de Dermatomicologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário, Brasília, DF, Brasil. Phone/Fax: 55 61 3285047. Email: cwpaula@uol.com.br