title: Combined treatment with benznidazole and allopurinol in mice infected with a virulent Trypanosoma cruzi isolate from Nicaragua.
abstract: We evaluated the effect of chemotherapy with a sequential combined treatment of a low dose of benznidazole and allopurinol, in different schedules of administration, in experimental models of acute and chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Mice were infected with Nicaragua T. cruzi isolate, a virulent parasite from an endemic area of Nicaragua, genotyped as TcI (Grosso et al. 2010). We assessed survival rate, IgG levels, histopathological studies and quantified parasitaemia. A 15% survival rate was recorded in untreated mice during the acute phase of T. cruzi infection. Allopurinol administered immediately after benznidazole treatment was able to reduce parasitaemia and attenuate tissue damage by reducing inflammation. Trypanosoma cruzi-specific antibodies also decreased in 40-50% of the treated mice. The addition of allopurinol during the chronic phase showed the highest beneficial effect, not only by reducing parasitaemia but also by lowering the degree of inflammation and fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr M. Fatala Chaben, ANLIS Malbran, Ministerio de Salud. Av. Paseo Colón 568 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Noelia L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Grosso
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr M. Fatala Chaben, ANLIS Malbran, Ministerio de Salud. Av. Paseo Colón 568 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Micaela Lopez
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Alarcon
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr M. Fatala Chaben, ANLIS Malbran, Ministerio de Salud. Av. Paseo Colón 568 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jaqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bua
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr M. Fatala Chaben, ANLIS Malbran, Ministerio de Salud. Av. Paseo Colón 568 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Susana A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Laucella
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr M. Fatala Chaben, ANLIS Malbran, Ministerio de Salud. Av. Paseo Colón 568 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Adelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riarte
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr M. Fatala Chaben, ANLIS Malbran, Ministerio de Salud. Av. Paseo Colón 568 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fichera
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D051379:Mice; D009527:Nicaragua; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D000493:Allopurinol; C009999:benzonidazole