title: Zinc supplementation increases resistance to experimental infection by Trypanosoma cruzi.
abstract: It is well recognized that zinc is an essential trace element for all organisms, influencing growth and affecting the development and integrity of the immune system. It is also well known that the protective response against Trypanosoma cruzi depends on both innate and acquired immunity and for the control of the parasite load and host survival, the participation of special cells such natural killer (NK), T and B lymphocytes and macrophages are required. So the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of zinc supplementation on the host's immune response infected with T. cruzi. Our data point in the direction that zinc supplementation triggered enhanced thymocyte and splenocyte proliferation as compared to unsupplied group of animals. It is also important to emphasize that interleukin-12 (IL-12) participates in the resistance to several intracellular pathogens including T. cruzi. Our findings demonstrate an enhanced production of IL-12 during the acute phase of infection in zinc-supplied groups. So we conclude that zinc supplementation leads to an effective host's immune response by up-modulating the host's immune response, thus contributing in the reduction of blood parasites and the harmful pathogenic effects of the experimental Chagas' disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto FCFRP-USP, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n degree, SP, Brazil. vbrazao@fcfrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brazão
authors.forename: Leony Cristina
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio Filipin
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paula Alonso Toldo
authors.forename: Luana Naiara
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: José Clóvis
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: do Prado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003208:Concanavalin A; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015032:Zinc