Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I affects parasite growth and host cell migration in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis.

While the control or progression of leishmaniasis depends on host immune responses, the initial inflammatory process represents a key event. This process involves the participation of several cytokines and growth factors induced during inflammation as well as factors already present at the site of infection such as insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. We have previously demonstrated a potential role for IGF-I in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis based on the significant increase in lesion size seen in mice injected with Leishmania promastigotes preactivated with IGF-I. In the present study we show that preactivation of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis promastigotes with IGF-I induces an increase in the actual number of parasites at the lesion site from seven days postinfection, in addition to a more intense inflammatory infiltrate. There was a higher numerical density of polymorphonuclear neutrophils from 3 to 24 h, and of mononuclear cells from 48 h of infection onward. A higher density of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and mononuclear cells harboring parasites was also observed. The most important observation, however, was that more parasites per cell were present, revealing that IGF-I appears to favour parasite growth within the macrophages. These results strongly suggest an important role for IGF-I in the development of cutaneous leishmaniasis, where it influences both the inflammatory process and parasite growth.