Investigation on the presence of leptospires in ovaries of hamsters experimentally infected whith Leptospiras interrogans serovar pomona

Authors

  • Claudio Roberto de Almeida Camargo Instituto Butantã
  • Silvio Arruda Vasconcellos Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, SP
  • Rodolfo Nürmberger Júnior Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, SP
  • Estevão de Camargo Passos Instituto Biológico
  • Zenaíde Maria de Morais Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, SP
  • José Antonio Visintin Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, SP

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1678-4456.bjvras.1993.52024

Keywords:

Leptospirosis, Leptospira interrogans (isolation), Ovaries (hamsters)

Abstract

After inoculating L. interrogans serovar pomona in 75 primiparous hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), the invasiveness of leptospires into lhe ovaries and lhe ability in causing ovary morphologic alterations were investigated by means of microscopic examination and bacterial isolation. For this purpose, 75 hamsters were inoculated with 0.5 ml of virulent strain containing 30-40 leptospires by the microscopic field and the other 15 hamsters were held as the uninfected controls. Signs and symptoms (prostration, tachypnea, rufled hair, jaundice, and nasal, bucal and perineal hemorrage) were detected in all inoculated animals. The animals were killed in the agonic state of the illness, which were done through 4th and 7th day post inoculation. The ovaries were taken asseptically during the necropsies, thoroughly washed using the sterile phosphate buffered saline, in order to eliminate the possible external contamination. The fresh ovary samples were submitted to the dark field direct microscopic examination. After the formalin fixation, the specimens were stained by means of histopathologic techniques using the Levaditi and Hematoxylin Eosin stains. The ovary smears were also examined by the direct fluorescent antibody technique andlhe bacterial isolation was carried out in the Fletcher’s medium. The dark field direct microscopic examination was found tobe less sensitive in demonstrating the presence of leptospiresin the ovaries. In those specimens stained by the Lcvadititechnique, leptospires were visualized in different ovaryinternal structures, involving the interspace, pellucid zone andin the inner ovules. Through the histopathologic examination,typical morphologic alterations resembling acute infiamatoryprocess were found in 57% of ovaries examined.

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Published

1993-12-02

Issue

Section

PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE

How to Cite

Investigation on the presence of leptospires in ovaries of hamsters experimentally infected whith Leptospiras interrogans serovar pomona. (1993). Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science, 30(2), 129-135. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1678-4456.bjvras.1993.52024