Background: Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, which is endemic to subtropical and tropical Americas. The disease treatment remains partially ineffective, involving therapies directed to the parasite as well as palliative strategies for the clinical manifestations. Therefore, novel candidates for disease control are necessary. Additionally, strategies based on parasite inhibition via specific targets and application of compounds which improve the immune response against the disease is welcomed. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone pointed as a substance with important cardioprotective, vasodilatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative and immune modulatory functions. The aims of this study were to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of ghrelin in male Wistar rats infected with the Y strain of T. cruzi.
Methods: In order to delineate an immune response against T. cruzi mediated by ghrelin, we evaluated the following parameters: quantification of blood and cardiac parasites; analysis of cell markers (CD3, CD8, NK, NKT, CD45RA, macrophage and RT1B); nitric oxide (NO) production; lymphoproliferation assays; splenocyte apoptosis; and INF-γ, IL-12 and IL-6 quantification in sera.
Results: The animals infected with T. cruzi and supplemented with ghrelin demonstrated an upregulated pattern in macrophage and NO production, whereas an anti-inflammatory response was observed in T cells and cytokines. The low response against T. cruzi mediated by T cells probably contributed to a higher colonization of the cardiac tissue, when compared to infected groups. On the other side, the peptide decreased the inflammatory infiltration in cardiac tissue infected with T. cruzi.
Conclusions: Ghrelin demonstrated a dual function in animals infected with T. cruzi. Further studies, especially related to the decrease of cardiac tissue inflammation, are needed in order to determine the advantages of ghrelin supplementation in Chagas disease, mostly for populations from endemic areas.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6842500 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3787-y | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Immunomodulatory activity of Trypanosoma cruzi recombinant antigen combination TSA-1-C4 and Tc24-C4 induce activation of macrophages and CD8 T cells.
Parasitol Res
January 2025
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY), Calle 43 S/N entre calle 96 y calle 40 Colonia Inalámbrica, Mérida, Yucatán, C.P. 97069, Mexico.
Chagas disease is a chronic infection caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, with limited benefits of the currently available anti-parasitic chemotherapeutic approaches to halt the progression of heart disease. Recombinant TSA-1-C4 and Tc24-C4 proteins have been developed as promising antigen candidates for therapeutic vaccines, leading to propose them in combination as a bivalent recombinant protein strategy. In this study, we evaluated the immunomodulatory effect of the combined TSA-1-C4 and Tc24-C4 recombinant proteins by in vitro assays using murine macrophages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACCREDIT: Validation of clinical score for progression of COVID-19 while hospitalized.
Glob Epidemiol
June 2025
Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil.
Unlabelled: COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, but it remains challenging to predict its prognosis.
Objective: To develop and validate an instrument to predict COVID-19 progression for critically ill hospitalized patients in a Brazilian population.
Methodology: Observational study with retrospective follow-up.
Factors influencing the use of direct oral anticoagulants among patients with chronic chagas cardiomyopathy.
Arch Peru Cardiol Cir Cardiovasc
December 2024
Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Clinic, Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia, Floridablanca, Colombia. Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Clinic Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia Floridablanca Colombia.
Objective: Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) carries a high risk of embolic events due to structural changes in the left ventricle and frequent conduction disorders. However, there is limited data on anticoagulant prescription patterns and factors influencing the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in these patients. This study aims to characterize CCC patients based on the anticoagulant therapy received and identify factors associated with DOACs use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFunctional heterogeneity of mesenchymal stem cells and their therapeutic potential in the K18-hACE2 mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Stem Cell Res Ther
January 2025
Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil.
Background: Despite many years of investigation into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their potential for treating inflammatory conditions such as COVID-19, clinical outcomes remain variable due to factors like donor variability, different tissue sources, and diversity within MSC populations. Variations in MSCs' secretory and proliferation profiles, and their proteomic and transcriptional characteristics significantly influence their therapeutic potency, highlighting the need for enhanced characterization methods to better predict their efficacy. This study aimed to evaluate the biological characteristics of MSCs from different tissue origins, selecting the most promising line for further validation in a K18-hACE2 mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffects of the physical form of starter feed on the intake, performance, and health of female Holstein calves.
Animal
December 2024
Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, NY 12921, USA. Electronic address:
Available literature on the effect of various physical forms of starter feed (PFSF) on calf performance is conflicting. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the PFSF on feed intake, growth performance, blood metabolites, and the health of dairy calves. Twenty-four female Holstein calves (5-d-old; 40.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!