ABSTRACT
Amastigotes count in inoculated foot pad and histopathological study of infected mice were performed to study three Leishmania major strains: the Senegalese strain MHOM/SN/00/DKI[SN], the Sudanese strain MHOM/SD/89/UG8[SD], and the Saudi strain MHOM/SA/84/JISH[SA]. Eight-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups. Each group was infected with one of the studied strains. Amastigotes in the inoculated foot of infected. mice in the three groups were counted at 30 and 45 days using modified fluorescence diacetate/ethidium bromide viability test. The number of amastigotes in the SA group was found to be significantly lower than that of the other two groups at both durations. There was no significant difference between the number of amastigotes in the SN and SD strains at 30 days. but it was significantly higher in the SN group than that of the SD group at 45 days post-inoculation. In the animals studied, tissue samples were obtained from the skin, liver, spleen, and testes for gross pathological changes and histopathological evaluation. The SD strain started earlier and led a more aggressive course. The SN and SA strains were less aggressive. The SA strain showed changes at an earlier time and resulted in a more aggressive course of the disease. The SN and SA strains were less aggressive. The SA strain showed the most chronic course of the three