title: The dog as model for chemotherapy of the Chagas' disease.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the role of dogs as experimental models for acute and chronic phases of Chagas' disease, before and after therapeutic treatments. Dogs were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi strains of different susceptibilities to benznidazole (Bz) and treated with the same therapeutic scheme as used for human chagasic. The treatment with Bz was able to prevent death and induced parasitological cure in 62.5% (acute phase) and 38.7% (chronic recent phase) of the tested animals. These results were similar to those reported in clinical trials for treated human patients (cured and uncured) in both phases of the disease. We also showed that parasitologic and serologic tests for monitoring the cure were similar to those obtained for human trials. In addition, Polymerase chain reaction showed the highest sensitivity when compared with hemoculture as an indicator of parasite clearance. In conclusion, the proposed experimental model should be relevant for chemotherapy studies for the control of Chagas' disease.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, UFOP, Morro do Cruzeiro, CEP 35400-000, MG, Ouro Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Marcos da Matta
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.forename: Vanja Maria
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Veloso
authors.forename: Washington Luiz
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tafuri
authors.forename: Lúcia Maria da Cunha
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Galvão
authors.forename: Cláudia Martins
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Marta de
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Lana
authors.forename: Egler
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chiari
authors.forename: Killarney
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ataide Soares
authors.forename: Maria Terezinha
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bahia
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; C009999:benzonidazole