Dados do Trabalho

Título

Immunomodulatory effect of alpha-tocopherol in the chronic phase of experimental infection by Trypanosoma cruzi

Introdução

The immune response is crucial in developing and maintaining different clinical forms of T.cruzi infection. Given this, we sought a reagent to be used as an adjuvant treatment for the chronic disease. In other experimental models, alpha-tocopherol has been shown to enhance the effector cell response.

Objetivo (s)

We aimed to verify whether, after treatment with alpha-tocopherol, specific immune responses are induced to regulate inflammation during the chronic phase of T. cruzi infection.

Material e Métodos

The following experiments were carried out: phenotyping of spleens, hearts, and muscle cells by flow cytometry and histopathological study of the heart and muscles.

Resultados e Conclusão

In the chronic phase, alpha-tocopherol promotes an increase in TCD8+IL-10+ in the spleen and suggests an increase in TCD4+IL-10+ TCD8+IL-10+ in the striated muscles. Using alpha-tocopherol or alpha-tocopherol + T. cruzi antigens in the chronic phase was also associated with improvements such as reducing inflammatory infiltrates and fibrosis in the heart and skeletal muscle.The results presented in this work demonstrate that alpha-tocopherol modulates the immune response in the chronic T.cruzi infection model, with an increase in cytokines and cells capable of controlling inflammation, diminishing the tissue damage characteristic of T.cruzi infection.

Palavras-chave

immunomodulation; alpha-tocopherol; immunopathology, T. cruzi

Agradecimentos

CNPq,FAPESB, FIOCRUZ.