title: Effect of the plasmid-DNA vaccination on macroscopic and microscopic damage caused by the experimental chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the canine model.
abstract: The dog is considered the main domestic reservoir for Trypanosoma cruzi infection and a suitable experimental animal model to study the pathological changes during the course of Chagas disease (CD). Vaccine development is one of CD prevention methods to protect people at risk. Two plasmids containing genes encoding a trans-sialidase protein (TcSP) and an amastigote-specific glycoprotein (TcSSP4) were used as DNA vaccines in a canine model. Splenomegaly was not found in either of the recombinant plasmid-immunized groups; however, cardiomegaly was absent in animals immunized only with the plasmid containing the TcSSP4 gene. The inflammation of subendocardial and myocardial tissues was prevented only with the immunization with TcSSP4 gene. In conclusion, the vaccination with these genes has a partial protective effect on the enlargement of splenic and cardiac tissues during the chronic CD and on microscopic hearth damage, since both plasmids prevented splenomegaly but only one avoided cardiomegaly, and the lesions in heart tissue of dog immunized with plasmid containing the TcSSP4 gene covered only subepicardial tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología "Ignacio Chávez", Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan, 14080 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Morales
authors.forename: Silvia C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Carrillo-Sánchez
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: García-Mendoza
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aranda-Fraustro
authors.forename: Martha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ballinas-Verdugo
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alejandre-Aguilar
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rosales-Encina
authors.forename: Maite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallejo
authors.forename: Minerva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arce-Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; C501457:SSP4 protein, Trypanosoma cruzi; D019444:Vaccines, DNA