Participation of heart macrophages in the effects of fenofibrate in T. cruzi-infected mice

PIERALISI, AZUL VICTORIA; CEVEY, ÀGATA CAROLINA; MIRKIN, GERARDO A.; DONATO, MARTIN; RADA, MARÍA JIMENA; GOREN, NORA BEATRIZ; PENAS, FEDERICO NICOLÁS; COMITO, ROCÍO; GELPI, RJ

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LXIV Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; 2019

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica

Macrophages (Mφ) are one of the main infiltrating leukocytes in response to heart infection in Chagas disease. Due to their functional and phenotypic plasticity, manipulating specific Mφ subsets can be crucial in collaborating with vital cardiovascular functions, such as tissue repair and defense against the infection. Previous works of our group showed that fenofibrate, a PPARα ligand, improves cardiac function and inflammatory parameters in a murine model of T. cruzi (Tc) infection. In this work we tested the hypothesis that heart Mφ participate in the effects of fenofibrate in Tc-infected mice. To test this hypothesis, we depleted circulating Mφ (with clodronate liposomes treatment) in Tc-infected mice. The results show that Mφ depletion impedes the beneficial effects of fenofibrate on different ventricular parameters: ejection and shortening fraction, left diastolic diameter and left final systolic diameter, measured by echocardiography (P