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J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis.

V.21, 2015.

Original paper - ISSN 1678-9199.

 

DNA damage in BALB/c mice infected with Lacazia loboi and its relation to nutritional status

 
Adriana Sierra Assencio Almeida Barbosa 1 4, Larissa Ragozo Cardoso de Oliveira 2, Francilene Capel Tavares 2, Carlos Roberto Gonçalves de Lima 2, Suzana Madeira Diório 3, Sueli Aparecida Calvi 2, Fátima Regina Vilani-Moreno 1, Paulo Câmara Marques Pereira 2

1 Biology Technical Team, Lauro de Souza Lima Institute, Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil

2 Department of Tropical Diseases and Image Diagnosis, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil

3 Microbiology Technical Team, Lauro de Souza Lima Institute, Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil

4 Equipe Técnica de Biologia, Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima, Rod. Comte. João Ribeiro de Barros, km 225/226, Bauru, CEP 17.034-971, SP, Brazil

 

ABSTRACT

 

Background

Jorge Lobo’s disease, also known as lacaziosis, is a cutaneous-subcutaneous mycosis with chronic evolution. It is caused by the fungus Lacazia loboi. Herein we report a study that relates the genotoxicity caused by L. loboi in isogenic mice with nutritional status, through a normal or restricted diet.

 

Methods

DNA damage was assessed in the peripheral blood by the comet assay (tail intensity).

 

Results

The results for leukocytes showed increases in the mean tail intensity in mice under dietary restriction, in infected mice under dietary restriction and in infected mice ingesting a normal diet.

 

Conclusion

These results indicate that dietary restriction and L. loboi infection may increase DNA damage levels in mice, as detected by the comet assay.

 

Key words: Jorge Lobo’ disease; Lacazia loboi; Malnutrition; Mice; Genotoxicity; Comet assay

Ethics committee approval

The present study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Experimentation of Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, under protocol no. CEEA 857-2011.

Received: September 15, 2014; Revised: March 4, 2015; Accepted: March 25, 2015

 

Corresponding author: Adriana SAA Barbosa e-mail: drisierra@hotmail.com

 

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

 
Authors' contributions

SMD, SAC, FRVM and PCMP designed the study, contributed to data analysis, writing and revision of the manuscript. ASAAB performed the laboratory assays, discussion of the data and writing of the manuscript. LRCO, FCT and CRGL contributed to the execution of the project. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.