title: Corticosterone evaluation in Wistar rats infected with the Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi during the chronic phase.
abstract: Understanding the mechanisms responsible for mediating the effects of stress on Trypanosoma cruzi infection is crucial for determining the full impact of stress on Chagas' disease and for devising effective interventions. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a steroid hormone synthesized from pregnenolone, is secreted by the adrenal cortex in response to stress. Although its physiologic role has not been fully defined, DHEA has been shown to modulate immune function. In the present study, we evaluated the levels of corticosterone and the ability of T. cruzi infection to modulate the expression of Th2 cytokines in Wistar rats with chronic Chagas' disease submitted to repetitive stress. The animals submitted to stress displayed enhanced levels of corticosterone as compared to control counterparts. Stress and infection triggered the most elevated concentrations of corticosterone. DHEA significantly reduced corticosterone levels for infected and stressed animals with DHEA. The infected animals displayed enhanced levels of IL-10 and IL-4 as compared to control ones. Stress combined with infection triggered the higher levels of IL-10 and IL-4. DHEA alone and combined with infection and stress significantly increased IL-10 and IL-4 levels. Then, this study might provide additional clues about factors that regulate some of the immunoregulatory aspects of T. cruzi infection and might offer new opportunities for therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. leony@fcfrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Leony Cristina
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brazão
authors.forename: Marina Del Vecchio
authors.initials: Mdel V
authors.lastname: Filipin
authors.forename: Fabricia Helena
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Santello
authors.forename: Mírian 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
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D003345:Corticosterone