title: Vitamin C effects in mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi QM2 strain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the efficacy of vitamin C in reducing the consequences generated by the production of free radicals in the acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease, two different doses of ascorbic acid were administered orally to 60 mice infected by Trypanosoma cruzi QM2 strain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The animals were divided into six groups: G1, G2, and G3 for the acute phase study, and G'1, G'2, and G'3 for the chronic stage. The groups G1 and G'1 received 8.6 x 10⁻⁴ mg/g of vitamin C daily, whereas G2 and G'2 received 7.14 x 10⁻³ mg/g daily. The other groups, G3 and G'3, were considered placebos and received 10 µL of mineral water.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study of the acute phase showed statistically significant differences between G1 and the other groups at various count days of the parasitemia evolution. The multiplying parasite was slower in G1 until the 11th day, but on the 22nd day it had greater parasitemia than in G2 and G3, and from the 36th day on, parasitemia stabilized at higher levels. However, when the histopathology of acute and chronic phases is considered, one does not note significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The administration of two different doses of vitamin C was not able to protect mice and to contain the oxidative stress caused by free radicals formed by the metabolism of oxygen (reactive oxygen species) and nitrogen (reactive nitrogen species).
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Marília, SP.
authors.forename: Alex Silva de
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gusmão
authors.forename: Roberto Esteves Pires
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Castanho
authors.forename: Rodrigo Franzoso Almeida de
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Clarisse Moreno
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Farsetti
authors.forename: Andressa Boim
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mathias
authors.forename: Altino Luiz Silva
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Therezo
authors.forename: Luciamáre Perinetti Alves
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001205:Ascorbic Acid