Infection of mice with Trypanosoma cruzi clonotypes I or II promotes a significant immunoendocrine response

PÉREZ A.R.; CORREA-DE-SANTANA E.; ROGGERO E.; BOTTASSO O., BESEDOVSKY H., DEL REY A., SAVINO W.

Madrid, España

Congreso; 2do Congreso Iberoamericano de Neuroinmunomodulación; 2007

Sociedad Iberoamericana de INeuroinmunomodulación

Infection of mice with Trypanosoma cruzi clonotypes I or II promotes a significant immunoendocrine response A.R.Péreza; E.Correa-de-Santanab; E.Roggeroa; O.Bottassoa, H.Besedovskyc, A.del Reyc, W.Savinob aUniversidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina; bFundação Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil; cPhilipps Universität, Germany.  Evolutionary studies of Trypanosoma cruzi (Tc), the causative agent of Chagas disease, unravelled two lineages of the parasite, the clonotypes I and II. These vary in their genetic polymorphism, as well as in the pathophysiological and clinical impact upon the vertebrate host. In a second vein, evidence suggests that host-parasite relationship is partially dependent on the host’s genetic background, which plays a role in the immunoendocrine response mounted. Herein we evaluated the influence of such host-parasite variability on the immunoendocrine response triggered by Tc infection. We infected Balb/c or C57BL/6 mice with the Colombiana (clonotype I) or Tulahuén (clonotype II) parasite strains. Analyses were performed at the parasitemia peaks. In all cases, a rise in serum corticosterone levels was seen. Moreover, in Balb/c mice infected with the Tc clonotype I, IL-6 and IL-1a reached elevated serum concentrations, which possibly stimulate corticosterone release independently of ACTH, whose levels were not significantly changed as compared to controls. Although to a lesser extent, IL-6 and Il-1a levels were also enhanced in C56BL/6 mice infected with the Tc clonotype II (Tulahuén strain). Overall, these data indicate that the Tc-induced dysregulation in the immunoendocrine response occurs irrespective of the host/parasite background, and that their quantitative differences may be relevant in the disease outcome. Financial support: CNPq/ProSul, Fiocruz (Brazil); FONCYT (Argentina)