title: Effects of vitamin C supplementation on acute phase Chagas disease in experimentally infected mice with Trypanosoma cruzi QM1 strain.
abstract: The tissue changes that occur in Chagas disease are related to the degree of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity of affected tissue. Studies with vitamin C supplementation did not develop oxidative damage caused by Chagas disease in the host, but other studies cite the use of peroxiredoxins ascorbate - dependent on T. cruzi to offer protection against immune reaction. Based on these propositions, thirty "Swiss" mice were infected with T. cruzi QM1 strain and treated with two different vitamin C doses in order to study the parasitemia evolution, histopathological changes and lipid peroxidation biomarkers during the acute phase of Chagas disease. The results showed that the parasite clearance was greater in animals fed with vitamin C overdose. There were no significant differences regarding the biomarkers of lipid peroxidation and inflammatory process or the increase of myocardium in animals treated with the recommended dosage. The largest amount of parasite growth towards the end of the acute phase suggests the benefit of high doses of vitamin C for trypomastigotes. The supplementation doesn't influence the production of free radicals or the number of amastigote nests in the acute phase of Chagas disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology of Marília Medical School, FAMEMA, Marília, São Paulo, Brazil, 17519-070. ricardo_marim@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Ricardo Guimarães
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Marim
authors.forename: Alex Silva de
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gusmão
authors.forename: Roberto Esteves Pires
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Castanho
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deminice
authors.forename: Altino Luiz Silva
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Therezo
authors.forename: Alceu Afonso
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Jordão Júnior
authors.forename: Luciamare Perinetti Alves
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001205:Ascorbic Acid