Confocal fluorescence microscopy: a powerful tool in the study of Chagas' disease

Mortara, Renato Arruda; Silva, Solange da; Taniwaki, Noemi Nosomi

doi:10.1590/s0037-86822000000100012

Cited by 5 publications

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“…These observations have been associated with identification of several cross-reacting antibodies and T cells to support the autoimmune hypothesis (15,24). However, more sensitive parasite detection techniques have confirmed that parasites persist in tissues and correlated this persistence with tissue damage (31,32). Furthermore, it is well accepted that a T helper 1 (Th1) type of immune response is required for clearing the parasite from infected mice (18,28,33,38,42,49), while such a response has also been associated with the intensity of the pathology during the chronic phase in humans (1,16).…”

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confidence: 93%

Immunotherapy ofTrypanosoma cruziInfection with DNA Vaccines in Mice

et al. 2004

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The mechanisms involved in the pathology of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy are still debated, and the controversy has interfered with the development of new treatments and vaccines. Because of the potential of DNA vaccines for immunotherapy of chronic and infectious diseases, we tested if DNA vaccines could control an ongoing Trypanosoma cruzi infection. BALB/c mice were infected with a lethal dose (5 ؋ 10 4 parasites) as a model of acute infection, and then they were treated with two injections of 100 g of plasmid DNA 1 week apart, beginning on day 5 postinfection. Control mice had high levels of parasitemia and mortality and severe cardiac inflammation, while mice treated with plasmid DNA encoding trypomastigote surface antigen 1 or Tc24 had reduced parasitemia and mild cardiac inflammation and >70% survived the infection. The efficacy of the immunotherapy also was significant when it was delayed until days 10 and 15 after infection. Parasitological analysis of cardiac tissue of surviving mice indicated that most mice still contained detectable parasite kinetoplast DNA but fewer mice contained live parasites, suggesting that there was efficient but not complete parasite elimination. DNA vaccine immunotherapy was also evaluated in CD1 mice infected with a low dose (5 ؋ 10 2 parasites) as a model of chronic infection. Immunotherapy was initiated on day 70 postinfection and resulted in improved survival and reduced cardiac tissue inflammation. These results suggest that DNA vaccines have strong potential for the immunotherapy of T. cruzi infection and may provide new alternatives for the control of Chagas' disease.

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confidence: 93%

Immunotherapy ofTrypanosoma cruziInfection with DNA Vaccines in Mice

et al. 2004

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“…Monoclonal antibodies are a powerful tool that enables detailed studies of tissue forms of T. cruzi (Mortara et al 1999(Mortara et al , 2000. Confocal microscope systems can store and process digitalized images that can be readily accessible.…”

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confidence: 99%

Diterpenoids from Azorella compacta (Umbelliferae) active on Trypanosoma cruzi

Araya

Neira

Silva

et al. 2003

Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz

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The anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of natural products isolated from Azorella compacta was evaluated, with particular emphasis on their effect against intracellular amastigotes. Five diterpenoids from A. compacta derived from mulinane and azorellane were isolated and identified. Only two products, named azorellanol (Y-2) and mulin-11,3-dien-20-oic acid (Y-5) We evaluated the effect of diterpenoids against intracellular T. cruzi forms by immunofluorescent identification of a specific membrane molecular marker (Ssp-4 antigen) of the T. cruzi amastigote forms. The accuracy and reproducibility of the measurements were found to be outstanding when examined by confocal microscopy.

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