Dead fungi cells are pointed with arrowheads. Giant cells are pointed with arrows. As stated above, ovariectomy significantly altered the infection progression in the liver and spleen of infected C. callosus,

consequently PXD101 solubility dmso we investigated if the pancreas would be affected by the deprivation of estrogen due to the removal of the ovaries. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference of tissue sections occupied by the lesions in the pancreas between the sham-operated and ovariectomized animals (Fig. 7A). Infection of ovariectomized C. callosus prevented the drop of glucose levels seen in sham-operated and infected animals (Fig. 7B). Figure 7 Effect of the ovariectomy on the tissue extension and glucose serum levels in ovariectomized or sham-operated Calomys callosus infected with 1 × 10 6 yeast forms of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. A – Extension of tissue sections occupied by the lesions induced by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection in the pancreas. B – Serum glucose levels. Bars represent the mean and standard deviation of 4–5 animals per group. Discussion and conclusion Several species of wild animals are known to harbor many types of infectious agents. The induced infections usually are silent, most likely due

to efficient immunologic mechanisms of resistance resulting from years of co-evolution of hosts and pathogens. In nature, armadillos (Dasypus noveminctus) were found infected with P. brasiliensis in endemic area [20, 21]. C. callosus and human NVP-HSP990 order beings in endemic area of paracoccidioidomycosis constitute one example in which pathogenic fungus and a regional well established rodent are

living in a close environmental relationship. However, there are no reports describing C. callosus infected with P. brasiliensis in nature. The lack of such information can be alternatively ascribed either to a complete resistance of C. callosus to the fungus or to an efficient immune resistance developed by the host. The later hypothesis is Selleckchem AZD9291 However the most probable in face of the demonstration in this present report and by others [14], that this rodent can be experimentally infected with P. brasiliensis. The granuloma formation in PCM varies in humans and experimental animals Ureohydrolase according to several factors such as inoculum, route of infection, host susceptibility, and resistance. Previously, it was shown that using a virulent P. brasiliensis 18 strain, C. callosus presented a destructive granuloma formation and disease progression [14]. However, that work failed to show the lesion and granuloma formation in several other important organs. The present work demonstrated for the first time that these animals showed a different inflammatory response at the inoculation area (peritoneum and pancreas) compared to disseminated areas (liver and lungs). The granulomatous reaction organized in C. callosus infected with P.