Experimental benznidazole treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi II strains isolated from children of the Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with Chagas disease.
Trypanosoma cruzi strains from distinct geographic areas show differences in drug resistance and association between parasites genetic and treatment response has been observed. Considering that benznidazole (BZ) can reduce the parasite burden and tissues damage, even in not cured animals and individuals, the goal is to assess the drug response to BZ of T. cruzi II strains isolated from children of the Jequitinhonha Valley, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, before treatment. Mice infected and treated with BZ in both phases of infection were compared with the untreated and evaluated by fresh blood examination, haemoculture, polymerase chain reaction, conventional (ELISA) and non-conventional (FC-ALTA) serologies. In mice treated in the acute phase, a significant decrease in parasitaemia was observed for all strains. Positive parasitological and/or serological tests in animals treated during the acute and chronic (95.1-100%) phases showed that most of the strains were BZ resistant. However, beneficial effect was demonstrated because significant reduction (p < 0.05%) and/or suppression of parasitaemia was observed in mice infected with all strains (acute phase), associated to reduction/elimination of inflammation and fibrosis for two/eight strains. BZ offered some benefit, even in not cured animals, what suggest that BZ use may be recommended at least for recent chronic infection of the studied region.
Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas.
Jaquelline Carla Valamiel de
JC
Oliveira-Silva
Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas.
Girley Francisco
GF
Machado-de-Assis
Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas.
Maykon Tavares
MT
Oliveira
Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas.
Nívia Carolina Noguieira
NC
Paiva
Instituto René Rachou-Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Márcio Sobreira Silva
MS
Araújo
Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas.
Cláudia Martins
CM
Carneiro
Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni, MG, Brasil.
Olindo Assis
OA
Martins-Filho
Instituto René Rachou-Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Helen Rodrigues
HR
Martins
Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas.
Marta de
Md
Lana
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001938:Brazil; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D012074:Remission Induction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; C009999:benzonidazole