Differential Role of Leptin as an Immunomodulator in Controlling Visceral Leishmaniasis in Normal and Leptin-Deficient Mice.

ABSTRACT: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani There are no vaccines and available drugs against leishmaniasis are toxic. Immunomodulators that specifically boost the anti-microbial activities of the immune cells could alleviate several of these limitations. Therefore, finding novel immunomodulators for VL therapy is a pressing need. This study is aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory role of leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone capable of regulating the immune response, in L. donovani-infected mice. We observed that recombinant leptin treatment reduced splenic parasite burden compared with non-treated infected normal mice. Decrease in parasite burden correlated with an induction of innate immune response in antigen-presenting cells that showed an incr

SUBMITTER: Maurya R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4944674 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature