Fenofibrate modulates cardiac macrophage activation profile and heart inflammatory response and improves ventricular function in T. cruzi-infected mice

PIERALISI A; CAROLINA PONCINI; SEQUEYRA ALDANA; CEVEY A; DONADO MARTIN; MIRKIN G; GOREN N; PENAS F

Congreso; REUNIÓN CONJUNTA SAIC SAI&FAIC SAFIS 2022; 2022

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 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 (Fen) improves cardiac function and inflammatory parameters in a chronic Chagas model. Here, to deepen into the study of Fen, C57BL/6 mice were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (Tc) and treated with 100 mg/kg/day of Fen for 14 days. Fen treatment doesn?t change parasitemia, body weight nor survival of Tc-infected mice. Next, we found that Fen decreases iNOS, IL-6, TNF-α and CCR2 mRNA expression and increases mRNA expression of M2 markers (MR, YM1, PPARα, FIZZ, and IL-10) in heart (RT-qPCR, p