A Laboratory Strain of Leishmania major: Protective Effects on Experimental Leishmaniasis

Purpose Leishmaniasis, as one of the most important vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, can be seen in different forms and is more prevalent in developing countries worldwide. Due to the absence of effective strategies in its prevention, treatment, and control, investigation of effective control strategies against the disease is necessary. In this research, we evaluated the immunogenicity of a cold-adapted laboratory strain of Leishmania major (LMC) in the mouse model. Methods Twenty BALB/c mice were divided into two groups. LMC group received 4 × 10 6 of LMC strain in 0.5 ml DMEM, and VLM group, as the control group, received 0.5 ml Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium. Both groups were challenged with virulent L. major 3 weeks after inoculation. Results The data obtained from the analysis of immune responses and histopathological changes interestingly revealed protection against L. major in immunized mice. Compared with the VLM group, the mice immunized with LMC strain of L. major in the LMC group showed a significant increase in IFN-γ and IgG2a levels ( P