title: Effect of gangliosides on Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice.
abstract: Albino Swiss male mice were inoculated with Trypanosoma cruzi, Tulahuen strain trypomastigotes, and separated into three groups: control, without treatment; control, treated with Nifurtimox 25 mg/day; and experimental, treated with total brain gangliosides 1 mg/day, intramuscular. The treatment was started immediately after infection and maintained for 4 weeks. Parasitemia was determined twice a week and histopathological analyses of hearts were performed. The parasitemia was significantly lowered by the ganglioside treatment. All untreated mice died by day 14 post infection. Survival at day 30 was 96% for mice in the experimental group. Hearts from untreated animals showed acute chagasic myocarditis, while those from mice treated with gangliosides presented only minor mononuclear infiltration. The effect of gangliosides is probably due to interference of parasite penetration into the host cells.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Luján
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paglini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fretes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Fidelio
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bronia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides