Murine cutaneous leishmaniasis model showing the <i>in vivo</i> effect of recombinant Lundep (rLundep) activity in <i>Leishmania major</i> infection.

<p>Groups of five C57BL/6 mice were inoculated intradermally in both ears with 10³<i>L. major</i> in 10 µl in the presence or absence of 10 ng of rLundep. (<b>A</b>) Lesion size was measured weekly for 63 days and the mean and SEM plotted and analyzed by analysis of variance. The symbols represent the mean ± SEM. The murine cutaneous leishmaniasis model showed that co-injection of rLundep with metacyclic promastigotes significantly exacerbates <i>L. major</i> infection when compared with control. Panels reflect the pathology of the ears 9 weeks post challenge in mice coinoculated with rLundep and PBS. Ear lesions were completely healed in mice inoculated with parasite alone, while mice infected with <i>L. major</i>-rLundep had not healed after 9 weeks. (<b>B</b>) Parasite burden in lesions was evaluated by limiting dilution at the 9th week post infection. Parasite load 9 weeks after initial inoculation of <i>L. major</i> is significantly higher in mice co-inoculated with rLundep-<i>L. major</i>. Data of three independent experiments (<i>n</i> = 5) are shown.