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. 1988 Dec;56(12):3316–3319. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.12.3316-3319.1988

Hormonal modulation of sex differences in resistance to Leishmania major systemic infections.

B A Mock 1, C A Nacy 1
PMCID: PMC259743  PMID: 3182082

Abstract

Differences in susceptibility to intravenously inoculated Leishmania major were observed in male and female mice of the BALB/cAnPt, DBA/2N, and DBA/2J strains and (BALB/cAnPt x DBA/2N)F1 hybrids. In all cases, males had significantly higher liver parasite burdens than females. Orchidectomy of BALB/c males resulted in a 20% decrease in the number of parasites in the liver compared with either normal or sham-gonadectomized controls. Additionally, testosterone treatment of female BALB/c mice resulted in an 88% increase in the number of liver amastigotes. These results suggest that the hormone testosterone can modulate systemic L. major infections in BALB/c mice.

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Selected References

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