Comparison of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in dogs inoculated with blood or metacyclic trypomastigotes of Berenice-62 and Berenice-78 strains via intraperitoneal and conjunctival routes

Abstract

This paper aimed to verify the influence of the inoculum source (blood or metacyclic trypomastigote) and the route of inoculation (intraperitoneal or conjunctival) on the course of T. cruzi infection in dogs, using comparatively the T. cruzi strains Berenice-62 and Berenice-78. All dogs inoculated intraperitoneally became infected independently of the T. cruzi strain and source of trypomastigotes used. High level of infectivity was also observed when metacyclic trypomastigotes of both strains were inoculated by conjunctival route. However, when blood trypomastigotes were inoculated by conjunctival route the percentages of infectivity were significantly lower in dogs inoculated with both strains. Parasitaemia was significantly higher in animals infected with metacyclic trypomastigotes via the conjunctival route independently of the T. cruzi strain used. All animals infected with Berenice-78 strain showed severe acute myocarditis. On the other hand, animals infected with Berenice-62 showed severe acute myocarditis only when infected with metacyclic trypomastigote, via the intraperitoneal route. The results suggest that the source of the inoculum and the route of inoculation remarkably influence the evolution of the infection for the T. cruzi in the vertebrate host even when the same strain of the parasite is used.

Effect of the Plasmid-DNA Vaccination on Macroscopic and Microscopic Damage Caused by the Experimental ChronicTrypanosoma cruziInfection in the Canine Model

“…No amastigote nests were found in any heart sections obtained from immunized/infected or mock-immunized/ infected dogs with chronic CD; this is consistent with other studies in dogs [12,13,38]. Parasites in tissue fragments of dogs, mice, and humans have only been found during the acute stage of CD, but not during the chronic stage [19,37,39]; however, effective immunological control of inflammation during the chronic phase of infection resulted in reduced lymphocyte infiltrates by vaccination with the TcSSP4 gene.…”

“…Dogs with CD develop diffuse chronic myocarditis with histological and electrocardiographic changes that are also found in humans [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Prevention of T. cruzi transmission is mainly through the control of vector populations, control of blood transfusion and organ transplantation, and monitoring children from chagasic mothers.…”

Sensitive and Specific Serodiagnosis of Leishmania infantum Infection in Dogs by Using Peptides Selected from Hypothetical Proteins Identified by an Immunoproteomic Approach

“…The production of T. cruzi-specific IgG antibodies in the infected animals was determined by ELISA using total T. cruzi antigens. Sera of T. cruziinfected dogs were obtained from previous projects that evaluated the immune responses in these infected animals (33,34).…”

Rhodnius prolixus Life History Outcomes Differ when Infected with Different Trypanosoma cruzi I Strains

“…[6][7][8][9] The diversity of T. cruzi extends to the effects it has on its hosts, with its pathogenicity in mammals being highly variable, both within and between species and individuals, ranging from asymptomatic to severe pathology. 1,[10][11][12][13] However, current opinion on the effect of T. cruzi on its invertebrate host assumes no change in fitness relative to uninfected individuals, except in circumstances of external stress, 14,15 which is described by Schaub and others as "subpathogenic." [15][16][17][18][19][20] This idea is mainly based on studies of the triatomine species Triatoma infestans.…”