title: Dehydroepiandrosterone increases resistance to experimental infection by Trypanosoma cruzi.
abstract: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) enhances immune responses against a wide range of viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens. In a previous study, we reported that administration of DHEA significantly decreased the numbers of blood parasites in Trypanosoma cruzi experimental infection. The present study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of DHEA in reducing the severity of acute phase T. cruzi infection of male and female Wistar rats. Animals were treated subcutaneously with 40 mg/kg body weight/day of DHEA. The concentration of nitric oxide (NO) was determined in spleen peritoneal cavity. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were determined in the sera of uninfected and infected animals. DHEA treatment augments NO production for both sexes after in vitro LPS treatment for uninfected animals. Infection triggered enhanced NO levels although not significant. IL-2 and IFN-gamma were detectable in higher concentrations in treated and infected rats of both genders when compared to untreated controls. These data suggest that DHEA may have a potent immunoregulatory function that can affect the course of T. cruzi infection.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Laboratório de Parasitologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. carladom@fcfrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Carla Domingues
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Míriam Paula Alonso
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Toldo
authors.forename: Fabrícia Helena
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Santello
authors.forename: Marina Del Vecchio
authors.initials: Mdel V
authors.lastname: Filipin
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brazão
authors.forename: José Clóvis
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: do Prado Júnior
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007376:Interleukin-2; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D007371:Interferon-gamma