Ultrastructural analysis of ATPe-induced morphological damages in macrophages and intracellular <i>Leishmania</i>.

<p>Resident macrophages were infected with <i>L. amazonensis</i> promastigotes at moi of 10∶1. After 4 hours free parasites were washed off. 24-hour post-infection, cells were treated or not with 3 mM ATP for 30 min and 8 hours later fixed and processed for transmission electron microscopy. (A) Infected macrophage; (B) amastigote being internalized by an untreated macrophage, the insert shows amastigotes in the Parasitophorous vacuole; (C), (D), (E) and (F) Infected and ATPe-treated macrophages. M: macrophages, N: nucleus, L: <i>L. amazonensis</i>, Black arrows and <i>PV</i>: <i>L. amazonensis</i> Parasitophorous vacuole, Black arrowheads: Macrophages vacuole, Open triangle: degraded parasites, Black triangles: amastigotes presenting abnormal shapes with cytosolic vacuolation.