Objective:

to identify the serovarieties of leptospiras causing most injuries to the internal genitalia of pregnant Wistar rats.

Methods:

an experimental study in pregnant Wistar rats was conducted, seven groups with three animals each; a negative control and six cases with doses having a bacterial concentration of 300 millions of Leptospiras per mL; two milliliters were inoculated to each animal at fourth day of gestation per 17 months. Internal genitalia of all rats at 20 days of gestation were taken, processing them into paraffin and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and observed by bright-field light microscopy.

Results:

alterations in the uterus, ovaries and uterine tubes were observed; the uterus presented the greatest injuries while in the ovaries and uterine tubes the same quantity of lesions was visualized. L. Hebdomadis caused the greatest injuries in the ovaries while L. Canicola in the uterine tubes; it was the most aggressive serovariety and L. Australis in the uterus. Ovarian cysts were visualized in the 36,11 % of the sample.

Conclusions:

leptospirosis infects the internal genitalia because it provokes a diverse number of injuries, congestive and hemorrhagic alterations prevailed. Each organ of the internal genitalia was greatly affected by the different serovarieties. L. Hebdomadis affected every part of genital organs.

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