title: Trypanosoma cruzi: biological characterization of a isolate from an endemic area and its susceptibility to conventional drugs.
abstract: We describe some biological and molecular characteristics of a Trypanosoma cruzi isolate derived from a Triatomine captured in Nicaragua. PCR based typification showed that this isolate, named Nicaragua, belonged to the lineage Tc I. Nicaragua infected culture cells were treated with allopurinol, showing different behavior according to the cellular compartment, being cardiomyocyte primary cultures more resistant to this drug. The course of the infection in a mice experimental model and its susceptibility to benznidazole and allopurinol was analyzed. In benznidazole treatment, mice reverted the high lethal effect of parasites during the acute infection, however, a few parasites were detected in the heart of 88% of mice 1 year post-infection. Since T. cruzi is a heterogeneous species population it is important to study and characterize different parasites actually circulating in humans in endemic areas. In this work we show that T. cruzi Nicaragua isolate, is sensitive to early benznidazole treatment.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología, Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, ANLIS C.G. Malbrán, Paseo Colón 568, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. noelialorenag@yahoo.com.ar
authors.forename: Noelia L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Grosso
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bua
authors.forename: Alina E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: Mariela N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Bustos
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Postan
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fichera
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000469:parasitology; D009132:Muscles / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D009527:Nicaragua / Q000453:epidemiology; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010802:Phylogeny; D051381:Rats; D014224:Triatoma / Q000469:parasitology; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D000493:Allopurinol; C009999:benzonidazole