Infection of retinal epithelial cells with L. amazonensis impacts in extracellular matrix proteins

One of the manifestations of leishmaniases is eye injuries which main characteristics are the injury of the anterior chamber of the eye and the resistance to specific treatments. The retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells participate in pathogen-induced intraocular inflammatory processes. We investigated Leishmania amazonensis–RPE cells relationship and its impact in laminin and fibronectin production. Using RPE cell (ARPE-19), we demonstrated that L. amazonensis adhere to these cells in the first hour of infection, whereas parasite internalization was only observed after 6 h. Seventy-two hours after infection, vacuoles with parasites debris were observed intracellularly, and no parasite were observed intra- or extracellularly at the 96 h, suggesting that Leishmania can infect ARPE-19 cells although this cells are able to clear the infection. Fibronectin and laminin were associated with L. amazonensis–ARPE-19 interaction. Confocal analysis showed no substantial alterations in fibronectin presence in ARPE-19-infected or ARPE-19-noninfected cells, whereas laminin levels increased three times 10 h after L. amazonensis infection. After this time, laminin levels decreased in infected cells. These results suggest that L. amazonensis–ARPE-19 infection induces increased production of laminin in the beginning of infection which may facilitate parasite–host cell interactions.