title: DHEA and testosterone therapies in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected rats are associated with thymic changes.
abstract: The ability of the gonadal hormones to influence diverse immunological functions during the course of several infections has been extensively studied in the latest decades. Testosterone has a suppressive effect on immune response of vertebrates and increases susceptibility toward numerous parasitic diseases. Dehydroepiandrosterone is an abundant steroid hormone secreted by the human adrenal cortex and it is considered potent immune-activator. In this paper, it was examined the effects of DHEA and testosterone supplementation in the thymic atrophy in rats infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, by comparing blood parasitism, thymocyte proliferation, TNF-alpha and IL-12 levels. Our data point in the direction that DHEA treatment triggered enhanced thymocyte proliferation as compared to its infected counterparts and reduced production of TNF-alpha during the acute phase of infection. Oppositely, the lowest values for cells proliferation and IL-12 concentrations were reached in testosterone-supplied animals. The combined treatment testosterone and DHEA improves the effectiveness of the host's immune response, reducing blood parasites and the immunosuppressive effects of male androgens besides increasing IL-12 concentrations and decreasing TNF-alpha levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Analysis, Toxicology and Bromatology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. Av. do Café s/n, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Del Vecchio
authors.initials: Mdel V
authors.lastname: Filipin
authors.forename: Leony Cristina
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brazão
authors.forename: Fabricia Helena
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Santello
authors.forename: Míriam Paula Alonso
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Toldo
authors.forename: José Clóvis
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: do Prado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013739:Testosterone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone