Effect of mammalian ambient temperature on leishmania major promastigotes: viability, morphology and immunogenicity in balb/c mice

ABSTRACT

Change in temperature is one of the most important factors influencing the promastigote-to-amastigote transformation in Leishmania parasites. The present investigation studies the effect of mammalian temperature [37°C] on Leishmania major promastigote in regards to viability, morphology and immunogenicity in BALB/C mice. Temperature shifts from 25°C to 37°C in the studied Leishmania major strain induced incomplete transformation of the parasites, which included a shorter length and a thicker width, and reduced the parasite motility. The majority of parasites were alive 48 hours after the temperature shifts. With respect to their immunogenicity in BALB/C mice, the parasites transformed at 37°C did not differ significantly from those maintained at 25°C