title: Galectin-1 Prevents Infection and Damage Induced by Trypanosoma cruzi on Cardiac Cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy caused by Trypanosoma cruzi is the result of a pathologic process starting during the acute phase of parasite infection. Among different factors, the specific recognition of glycan structures by glycan-binding proteins from the parasite or from the mammalian host cells may play a critical role in the evolution of the infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we investigated the contribution of galectin-1 (Gal-1), an endogenous glycan-binding protein abundantly expressed in human and mouse heart, to the pathophysiology of T. cruzi infection, particularly in the context of cardiac pathology. We found that exposure of HL-1 cardiac cells to Gal-1 reduced the percentage of infection by two different T. cruzi strains, Tulahuén (TcVI) and Brazil (TcI). In addition, Gal-1 prevented exposure of phosphatidylserine and early events in the apoptotic program by parasite infection on HL-1 cells. These effects were not mediated by direct interaction with the parasite surface, suggesting that Gal-1 may act through binding to host cells. Moreover, we also observed that T. cruzi infection altered the glycophenotype of cardiac cells, reducing binding of exogenous Gal-1 to the cell surface. Consistent with these data, Gal-1 deficient (Lgals1-/-) mice showed increased parasitemia, reduced signs of inflammation in heart and skeletal muscle tissues, and lower survival rates as compared to wild-type (WT) mice in response to intraperitoneal infection with T. cruzi Tulahuén strain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that Gal-1 modulates T. cruzi infection of cardiac cells, highlighting the relevance of galectins and their ligands as regulators of host-parasite interactions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh), Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandro F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Benatar
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben", Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriela A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben", Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jacqeline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bua
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cerliani
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben", Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Postan
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh), Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tasso
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pedro de Elizalde, Servicio de Cardiología, Sección Electrofisiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scaglione
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stupirski
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marta A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Toscano
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriel A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rabinovich
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh), Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Karina A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gómez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008875:Middle Aged; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D018512:Parasitemia; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D037483:Galectin 1