The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of specific avian polyclonal antibodies (IgY) against Trypanosoma cruzi and their interaction with ecto-enzymes of the purinergic system (NTPDase and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities) in splenic lymphocytes. For this, mice were divided into six groups: three non-infected (A, B, and C) and three infected (D, E, and F). The groups A and D were composed by negative and positive controls, respectively; while the groups B and E were treated prophylactically with IgY (50 mg/kg), and the groups C and F were treated therapeutically with IgY (50 mg/kg). Treatment with IgY reduced parasitemia on day 6 post-infection (PI) compared to the infected control group, but it was similar on day 8 PI. Moreover, infected and treated animals (the groups E and F) did not show neither amastigotes in the cardiac tissue nor cardiac lesions when compared to the positive control group (the group D). The E-NTPDase (ATP and ADP as substrate) and ADA activities in splenic lymphocytes increased significantly in the positive control group (the group D) compared to the negative control group (the group A). The therapeutic treatment of IgY (the group F) was able to prevent the increase of E-NTPDase and E-ADA activities compared to the positive control group (the group D), but this finding was not observed in animals that received the prophylactic treatment (the group E). The therapeutic treatment of IgY may be considered an interesting approach to improve the immune response of mice experimentally infected by T. cruzi.
<i>Lucilia cuprina</i> is a vector of important diseases in humans and animals that causes myiasis in sheep, leading to enormous damage to the sheep sector. Chemical products are used to control these flies; however, there are reports of resistance in addition to these products causing toxicity to the environment, humans, and animals, so alternative controls have been studied to reduce these impacts. <i>Pleurotus</i> spp. are basidiomycete fungi and present bioactive compounds with medicinal properties. Due to the potential use of fungi to control Diptera, this study aimed to verify the activity of <i>Pleurotus florida, P. ostreatus</i>, and <i>P. djamor</i> in the control of larvae and adults of <i>L. cuprina</i>, as well as the effects of aqueous extracts of the fungi <i>P. ostreatus, P. djamor</i>, and <i>P. florida</i> on larvae and adults of <i>L. cuprina</i>. The aqueous extract from <i>P. florida</i> was the only one that showed larvicidal activity against <i>L. cuprina</i>, with a half-maximal effective concentration of 11.42 mg/mL. In the test with adult stages, 30 insects were used for each solution concentration, sprinkled with 1 mL of the solution. All aqueous extracts showed adulticidal activity at all concentrations, <i>P. ostreatus</i> showing the best results, with adult mortality ranging from 75.86 to 100%. Our results demonstrated an important larvicidal effect of <i>P. florida</i> and an adulticidal effect of all AE, with emphasis on <i>P. ostreatus</i>.
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