title: Trypanosoma cruzi: dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and immune response during the chronic phase of the experimental Chagas' disease.
abstract: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has long been considered as a precursor for many steroid hormones. It also enhances the immune responses against a wide range of viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens. The aims of this work were to evaluate the influences of exogenous DHEA treatment on Wistar rats infected with the Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi during the acute and its influence on the chronic phase of infection. Animals were subcutaneous treated with 40 mg/kg body weight/day of DHEA. DHEA treatment promoted increased lymphoproliferative responses as well as enhanced concentrations of NO and IL-12. So, we point in the direction that our results validate the utility of the use of DHEA as an alternative therapy candidate against T. cruzi.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. leony@fcfrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Leony Cristina
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Fabricia Helena
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Santello
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio Filipin
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brazão
authors.forename: Luana Naiara
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Miriam Paula Alonso
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Toldo
authors.forename: Jerri C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.forename: José Clóvis
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: do Prado Júnior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018512:Parasitemia; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018664:Interleukin-12; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone