Trypanosoma cruzi: dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and immune response during the chronic phase of the experimental Chagas' disease.
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.
Caetano
Leony Cristina
LC
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
Santello
Fabricia Helena
FH
Del Vecchio Filipin
Marina
M
Brazão
Vânia
V
Caetano
Luana Naiara
LN
Toldo
Miriam Paula Alonso
MP
Caldeira
Jerri C
JC
do Prado Júnior
José Clóvis
JC
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*
D018664:Interleukin-12; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone