Cytological analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis and infused with bone marrow mononuclear cells

Abstract

The respiratory system has a direct contact with external environment, but this anatomical feature can be the entry route to many agents of injury. Lung disorders are not rare in clinical practice and analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) becomes an useful tool to assess possible changes in lung cell population against local injury, cellular embolism and after infusion of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) intravenously (IV). We evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively the cellular components of BALF from dogs naturally infected by Leishmania infantum chagasi and compared with infected animals and infused with BMMC. Thirteen animals were divided into negative control group (N = 6 dogs) and naturally infected (N = 7 dogs), and four dogs in this group were infused IV with BMMC homologously. The collect of BAL was performed with endotracheal tube; BMMC were obtained upon puncture of the iliac crest, separated by density gradient and adjusted a final volume containing 1 × 108 cells to IV infusion in each dog. The data obtained showed a significant difference in total count of cells between control and naturally infected group, showing a decrease in the pulmonary cell population in animals with leishmaniasis. The treated group showed an increase in the total of cells presents in the BALF from each dog, but the overall average there was no significant difference. In the same group there was a decrease in polymorphonuclear cells count and an increase of mononuclear cells (p≤0.05). The cellular analysis of BALF showed that pulmonary immune response is significantly depressed in canine visceral leishmaniasis and mononuclear cells population rises after BMMC infusion.