| Sumario: | Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast-like organism which infects both immunologically competent and immunocompromised subjects . Cryptococcosis ranks in the top four infectious diseases causing death among patients with AIDS. In order to know the pathogenic potential of some cryptococcal strains and to evaluate a murine mouse model of cryptococcosis, four groups of Balb/c mice (CENPALAB) with 20-24 g body weigh were anesthetized whit ketamina 150 mg/kg intraperitoneally and inoculated by intratracheal route with an inoculum of 10 cells of C. neoformans var. neoformans ( strains LMIPK 028, LMIPK 082 and LMIPK 089) in 50 µL of physiological saline solution (FSS) . These strains were isolated from patients with AIDS associated cryptococcosis. The control group was injected with 50 µL of FSS by the same route. The CFU assay in lungs, spleens and brain on days 9, 23, 35 y 42 after infection revealed a significant (p<0.05) difference between the animals infected with the strains LMIPK 082 when compared to animals infected with strains LMIPK 028 y LMIPK 089.. There was no discrepancy between latex test and CFU assay. The histopathology picture show a classical granulomatous lesion in lungs of animals infected with strains LMIPK 028 and LMIPK 089. The disease caused by the strains LMIPK 028 and LMIPK 089 in a mouse model of criptococcosis by intratracheal route is similar to that seen in immunocompromised patients. The mouse model of cryptococcosis is an efficient experimental model that produce disease with a similar spectrum of pathology to the disease in humans.
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