Trypanosoma cruzi: host selenium deficiency leads to higher mortality but similar parasitemia in mice.
Selenium is an essential trace element and its deficiency was implicated in heart diseases. We recently showed low Se levels in chronic chagasic patients with cardiomyopathy. Herein, mice were depleted in Se by feeding the mothers with chow containing only 0.005 mg Se/kg and maintaining this diet for offspring, that were further infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Survival rate was significantly lower in Se deficient than in control mice. Parasitemia was similar in all groups. Necrotic heart lesions were found after infection (high CK-MB levels). No outbreaks of parasite growth were detected in chronic survivors submitted or not to a second Se depletion. The present results confirm our hypothesis that a nutritional deficiency in Se is associated to a higher mortality during T. cruzi infection. The potential beneficial effect of Se supplementation is a perspective. Hypothesis to explain the higher susceptibility of Se-depleted mice to T. cruzi infection are discussed.
de Souza
Andréa P
AP
Lab. de Biologia Celular, Dept. de Ultra-estrutura e Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Melo de Oliveira
Gabriel
G
Nève
Jean
J
Vanderpas
Jean
J
Pirmez
Claude
C
de Castro
Solange L
SL
Araújo-Jorge
Tania C
TC
Rivera
Maria Teresa
MT
D000818:Animals; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000473:pathology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012643:Selenium / Q000172:deficiency*; D015996:Survival Rate
D007527:Isoenzymes; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form; D012643:Selenium