title: Zinc and pregnancy: Marked changes on the immune response following zinc therapy for pregnant females challenged with Trypanosoma cruzi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The occurrence of infectious disease processes during pregnancy has significant effects on maternal health and can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential role of zinc treatment during Trypanosoma cruzi infection in pregnant animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Wistar rats weighing 180-200 g were used in all experiments. Production of nitric oxide, peritoneal macrophages counts, and concentrations of IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured, and the potential protective effects of zinc on fetal development were assessed at 14-day post-infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nitric oxide concentrations were higher in pregnant zinc-treated animals than in their untreated counterparts, despite similar levels of the macrophages, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Zinc therapy was associated with a significant reduction in parasitemia and cardiac parasite burden. Higher placental and birth weights were observed in animals given prenatal zinc supplementation compared to untreated animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data confirm the critical importance of adequate zinc intake during the peri-conceptional period and indicate that zinc has an effective role in preventing adverse outcomes of pregnancy and reducing the risk of common infections such as Chagas' disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto FCFRP-USP, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cássia Mariana Bronzon
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brazão
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Collins Kuehn
authors.forename: Luiz Gustavo
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Rodrigues Oliveira
authors.forename: José Clóvis
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: do Prado Júnior
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Ana Amélia
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Carraro Abrahão
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000276:immunology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000254:growth & development; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D015032:Zinc