title: Lectin receptors distribution in the surface membrane of Trypanosoma cruzi blood forms collected from mice submitted to specific treatment.
abstract: The authors investigated the distribution of lectin receptors on Trypanosoma cruzi blood forms collected from mice inoculated with, respectively, the drug-resistant and drug-sensitive strains VL-10 and CL, and treated with the two standard active nitroheterocyclic compounds nifurtimox and benznidazole used for treatment of human Chagas' disease. Blood trypomastigotes purified in Fycoll-Hypaque were incubated with fluorescein-labelled lectins Con A, WGA, EE, WFA, TPA and PNA and then microscopically examined. Neither qualitative or quantitative differences in the fluorescence intensity could be detected between the parasites from VL-10 and CL strains submitted or not to treatment. The results suggest that both strains do not differ in their surface membrane carbohydrate moieties. Moreover, the rapid clearance of blood forms from the drug-sensitive strain in animals treated with single doses of both compounds is not likely to depend on membrane alterations expressed by changes in the carbohydrate components. Furthermore, resistance or sensitivity to drugs is not apparently related to carbohydrate distribution on T. cruzi blood forms.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Romanha
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Brener
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009547:Nifurtimox / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D009547:Nifurtimox; C009999:benzonidazole