In C57BL/6 mice, Leishmania donovani infection in the liver provoked IFN-γ-induced expression of the immunity-related GTPases (IRG), Irgm1 and Irgm3. To gauge the antileishmanial effects of these macrophage factors in the liver, intracellular infection was analyzed in IRG-deficient mice. In early- (but not late-) stage infection, Irgm3(-/-) mice failed to properly control parasite replication, generated little tissue inflammation and were hyporesponsive to pentavalent antimony (Sb) chemotherapy. Observations limited to early-stage infection in Irgm1(-/-) mice demonstrated increased susceptibility and virtually no inflammatory cell recruitment to heavily-parasitized parenchymal foci but an intact response to chemotherapy. In L. donovani infection in the liver, the absence of either Irgm1 or Irgm3 impairs early inflammation and initial resistance; the absence of Irgm3, but not Irgm1, also appears to impair the intracellular efficacy of Sb chemotherapy.
Keywords: Irgm1; Irgm3; Leishmania donovani; Visceral leishmaniasis.
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