Colonization of Rhodnius prolixus gut by Trypanosoma cruzi involves an extensive parasite killing

Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERTA CARVALHO FERREIRA ◽  
RAFAEL LUIS KESSLER ◽  
MARCELO GUSTAVO LORENZO ◽  
RAFAELA MAGALHÃES MACEDO PAIM ◽  
LUCIANA DE LIMA FERREIRA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Intestinal Tract ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Posterior Midgut ◽  
Development And Differentiation ◽  
Anterior Midgut

SUMMARYTrypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is ingested by triatomines during their bloodmeal on an infected mammal. Aiming to investigate the development and differentiation of T. cruzi inside the intestinal tract of Rhodnius prolixus at the beginning of infection we fed insects with cultured epimastigotes and blood trypomastigotes from infected mice to determine the amount of recovered parasites after ingestion. Approximately 20% of the ingested parasites was found in the insect anterior midgut (AM) 3 h after feeding. Interestingly, a significant reduction (80%) in the numbers of trypomastigotes was observed after 24 h of infection suggesting that parasites were killed in the AM. Moreover, few parasites were found in that intestinal portion after 96 h of infection. The evaluation of the numbers of parasites in the posterior midgut (PM) at the same periods showed a reduced parasite load, indicating that parasites were not moving from the AM. Additionally, incubation of blood trypomastigotes with extracts from R. prolixus AMs revealed that components of this tissue could induce significant death of T. cruzi. Finally, we observed that differentiation from trypomastigotes to epimastigotes is not completed in the AM; instead we suggest that trypomastigotes change to intermediary forms before their migration to the PM, where differentiation to epimastigotes takes place. The present work clarifies controversial points concerning T. cruzi development in insect vector, showing that parasite suffers a drastic decrease in population size before epimastigonesis accomplishment in PM.

scholarly journals The neuropeptide RhoprCCHamide2 inhibits serotonin-stimulated transcellular Na+ transport across the anterior midgut of the vector of Chagas disease Rhodnius prolixus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Capriotti ◽  
Paula Gioino ◽  
Sheila Ons ◽  
Juan P. Ianowski
Keyword(s):  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Ussing Chamber ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Malpighian Tubules ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Na Channels ◽  
Atpase Inhibitor ◽  
Plasma Fraction ◽  
Anterior Midgut

Rhodnius prolixus is a blood-feeding insect vector of Tripanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas' disease. During each blood meal the animals ingest large volumes of blood, that may be up to 12 times the unfed body mass. These blood meals impose a significant osmotic stress for the animals due to the hyposmotic condition of the ingested blood compared to the insect's haemolymph. Thus, the insect undergoes a massive postprandial diuresis that allows for the excretion of the plasma fraction of the blood in less than two hours. Diuresis is performed by the excretory system, consisting of the Malpighian tubules and gut, under the control of diuretic and antidiuretic factors. We investigated the ion transport machinery triggered by stimulation with the diuretic factor serotonin in the anterior midgut (i.e. crop) and the effect of the diuretic modulator RhoprCCHamide2. Ussing chamber assays revealed that serotonin-stimulated increase in transepithelial short circuit current (Isc) was more sensitive to the blockage with amiloride than EIPA, suggesting the involvement of Na+ channels. Incubation in Na+-free, but not Cl−-free saline, blocked the effect of serotonin on Isc. Moreover, treatment with NKCC and NCC blockers had no effect on fluid secretion but was blocked by amiloride. Blockage of Na+/K+-ATPase with ouabain inhibit Isc but the H+-ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin had no effect. The neuropeptide RhoprCCHamide2 diminished serotonin-stimulated Isc across the crop. The results suggest that Na+ undergoes active transport via an apical amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels and a basolateral ouabain-sensitive Na+/K+-ATPase while Cl− is transported through passive paracellular pathway.

Dynamics of T Cells Repertoire During Trypanosoma cruzi Infection and its Post-Treatment Modulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (36) ◽  
pp. 6519-6543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Egui ◽  
Paola Lasso ◽  
Elena Pérez-Antón ◽  
M. Carmen Thomas ◽  
Manuel Carlos López
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
Cruzi Infection

Chagas disease courses with different clinical phases and has a variable clinical presentation and progression. The acute infection phase mostly exhibits a non-specific symptomatology. In the absence of treatment, the acute phase is followed by a chronic phase, which is initially asymptomatic. This chronic asymptomatic phase of the disease is characterized by a fragile balance between the host’s immune response and the parasite replication. The loss of this balance is crucial for the progression of the sickness. The virulence and tropism of the T. cruzi infecting strain together to the inflammation processes in the cardiac tissue are the main factors for the establishment and severity of the cardiomyopathy. The efficacy of treatment in chronic Chagas disease patients is controversial. However, several studies carried out in chronic patients demonstrated that antiparasitic treatment reduces parasite load in the bloodstream and leads to an improvement in the immune response against the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. The present review is mainly focused on the cellular patterns associated to the clinical status and the evolution of the disease in chronic patients, as well as the effectiveness of the treatment related to T. cruzi infection control. Therefore, an emphasis is placed on the dynamics of specific-antigens T cell subpopulations, their memory and activation phenotypes, their functionality and their contribution to pathogenesis or disease control, as well as their association with risk of congenital transmission of the parasite.

scholarly journals Absence of Bim sensitizes mice to experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Hernández-Torres ◽  
Rogério Silva do Nascimento ◽  
Monica Cardozo Rebouças ◽  
Alexandra Cassado ◽  
Kely Catarine Matteucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Peritoneal Macrophages ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
No Production ◽  
Similar Reduction ◽  
Ifn Γ

AbstractChagas disease is a life-threatening disorder caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasite-specific antibodies, CD8+ T cells, as well as IFN-γ and nitric oxide (NO) are key elements of the adaptive and innate immunity against the extracellular and intracellular forms of the parasite. Bim is a potent pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family implicated in different aspects of the immune regulation, such as negative selection of self-reactive thymocytes and elimination of antigen-specific T cells at the end of an immune response. Interestingly, the role of Bim during infections remains largely unidentified. To explore the role of Bim in Chagas disease, we infected WT, Bim+/−, Bim−/− mice with trypomastigotes forms of the Y strain of T. cruzi. Strikingly, our data revealed that Bim−/− mice exhibit a delay in the development of parasitemia followed by a deficiency in the control of parasite load in the bloodstream and a decreased survival compared to WT and Bim+/− mice. At the peak of parasitemia, peritoneal macrophages of Bim−/− mice exhibit decreased NO production, which correlated with a decrease in the pro-inflammatory Small Peritoneal Macrophage (SPM) subset. A similar reduction in NO secretion, as well as in the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-6, was also observed in Bim−/− splenocytes. Moreover, an impaired anti-T. cruzi CD8+ T-cell response was found in Bim−/− mice at this time point. Taken together, our results suggest that these alterations may contribute to the establishment of a delayed yet enlarged parasitic load observed at day 9 after infection of Bim−/− mice and place Bim as an important protein in the control of T. cruzi infections.

scholarly journals A Parasite Biomarker Set for Evaluating Benznidazole Treatment Efficacy in Patients with Chronic Asymptomatic Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Egui ◽  
M. Carmen Thomas ◽  
Ana Fernández-Villegas ◽  
Elena Pérez-Antón ◽  
Inmaculada Gómez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Drastic Reduction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Cruzi Infection

ABSTRACT One of the current greatest challenges of Chagas disease is the establishment of biomarkers to assess the efficacy of drugs in a short period of time. In this context, the reactivity of sera from 66 adults with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease (IND) for a set of four Trypanosoma cruzi antigens (KMP11, PFR2, HSP70, and 3973d) was analyzed before and after benznidazole treatment. The results showed that the reactivity against these antigens decreased at 9, 24, and 48 months after treatment. Moreover, the 42.4% and 68.75% of IND patients met the established standard criteria of therapeutic efficacy (STEC) at 24 and 48 months posttreatment, respectively. Meeting the STEC implied that there was a continuous decrease in the reactivity of the patient sera against the four antigens after treatment and that there was a substantial decrease in the reactivity for at least two of the antigens. This important decrease in reactivity may be associated with a drastic reduction in the parasite load, but it is not necessarily associated with a parasitological cure. After treatment, a positive PCR result was only obtained in patients who did not meet the STEC. The percentage of granzyme B+/perforin+ CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in patients who met the STEC than in those who did not meet the STEC (35.2% versus 2.2%; P < 0.05). Furthermore, the patients who met the STEC exhibited an increased quality of the multifunctional response of the antigen-specific CD8+ T cells compared with that in the patients who did not meet the STEC.

Trypanosoma cruzi heparin-binding proteins mediate the adherence of epimastigotes to the midgut epithelial cells of Rhodnius prolixus

Parasitology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
pp. 735-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. O. R. OLIVEIRA ◽  
C. R. ALVES ◽  
F. SOUZA-SILVA ◽  
C. M. CALVET ◽  
L. M. C. CÔRTES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
Molecular Masses ◽  
Pre Treatment

SUMMARYHeparin-binding proteins (HBPs) have been demonstrated in both infective forms of Trypanosoma cruzi and are involved in the recognition and invasion of mammalian cells. In this study, we evaluated the potential biological function of these proteins during the parasite-vector interaction. HBPs, with molecular masses of 65·8 kDa and 59 kDa, were isolated from epimastigotes by heparin affinity chromatography and identified by biotin-conjugated sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Surface plasmon resonance biosensor analysis demonstrated stable receptor-ligand binding based on the association and dissociation values. Pre-incubation of epimastigotes with GAGs led to an inhibition of parasite binding to immobilized heparin. Competition assays were performed to evaluate the role of the HBP-GAG interaction in the recognition and adhesion of epimastigotes to midgut epithelial cells of Rhodnius prolixus. Epithelial cells pre-incubated with HBPs yielded a 3·8-fold inhibition in the adhesion of epimastigotes. The pre-treatment of epimastigotes with heparin, heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate significantly inhibited parasite adhesion to midgut epithelial cells, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. We provide evidence that heparin-binding proteins are found on the surface of T. cruzi epimastigotes and demonstrate their key role in the recognition of sulfated GAGs on the surface of midgut epithelial cells of the insect vector.

scholarly journals Antitrypanosomal Activity of Sterol 14α-Demethylase (CYP51) Inhibitors VNI and VFV in the Swiss Mouse Models of Chagas Disease Induced by the Trypanosoma cruzi Y Strain

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. H. Guedes-da-Silva ◽  
D. G. J. Batista ◽  
C. F. Da Silva ◽  
J. S. De Araújo ◽  
B. P. Pavão ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Day Treatment ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Comparative Investigation ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Cytochrome P450 Enzyme ◽  
Animal Group ◽  
Reference Drug ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Chagas disease is a life-threatening infection caused by a variety of genetically diverse strains of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The current treatment (benznidazole and nifurtimox) is unsatisfactory, and potential alternatives include inhibitors of sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51), the cytochrome P450 enzyme essential for the biosynthesis of sterols in eukaryotes and the major target of clinical and agricultural antifungals. Here we performed a comparative investigation of two protozoon-specific CYP51 inhibitors, VNI and its CYP51 structure-based derivative VFV, in the murine models of infection caused by the Y strain of T. cruzi. The effects of different treatment regimens and drug delivery vehicles were evaluated in animals of both genders, with benznidazole serving as the reference drug. Regardless of the treatment scheme or delivery vehicle, VFV was more potent in both genders, causing a >99.7% peak parasitemia reduction, while the VNI values varied from 91 to 100%. Treatments with VNI and VFV resulted in 100% animal survival and 0% natural relapse after the end of therapy, though, except for the 120-day treatment schemes with VFV, relapses after three cycles of immunosuppression were observed in each animal group, and quantitative PCR analysis revealed a very light parasite load in the blood samples (sometimes below or near the detection limit, which was 1.5 parasite equivalents/ml). Our studies support further investigations of this class of compounds, including their testing against other T. cruzi strains and in combination with other drugs.

Induction of Trypanosoma cruzi Metacyclogenesis in the Gut of the Hematophagous Insect Vector, Rhodnius prolixus, by Hemoglobin and Peptides Carrying αD-Globin Sequences

1995 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.S. Garcia ◽  
M.S. Gonzalez ◽  
P. Deazambuja ◽  
F.E. Baralle ◽  
D. Fraidenraich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Hematophagous Insect

scholarly journals Curcumin Enhances the Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi Activity of Benznidazole-Based Chemotherapy in Acute Experimental Chagas Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 3355-3364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rômulo Dias Novaes ◽  
Marcus Vinicius Pessoa Sartini ◽  
João Paulo Ferreira Rodrigues ◽  
Reggiani Vilela Gonçalves ◽  
Eliziária Cardoso Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Liver Toxicity ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Interleukin 4 ◽  
Myocardial Inflammation ◽  
Cure Rate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complementary Strategy

Although curcumin can increase the effectiveness of drugs against malaria, combination therapies using the molecule have never been investigated in Chagas disease (ChD). Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of curcumin as a complementary strategy to benznidazole (Bz)-based chemotherapy in mice acutely infected withTrypanosoma cruzi. Eighty-four 12-week-old Swiss mice were equally randomized into seven groups: uninfected (NI),T. cruziinfected and untreated (INF), infected and treated with 100 mg/kg of body weight Bz (B100), 50 mg/kg Bz (B50), 100 mg/kg curcumin (C100), 100 mg/kg Bz plus 100 mg/kg curcumin (B100 plus C100), and 50 mg/kg Bz plus 100 mg/kg curcumin (B50 plus C100). After microscopic identification of blood trypomastigotes (4 days after inoculation), both drugs were administered by gavage once a day for 20 days. Curcumin showed limited antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects when administered alone. When curcumin and Bz were combined, there was a drastic reduction in parasitemia, parasite load, mortality, anti-T. cruziIgG reactivity, circulating levels of cytokines (gamma interferon [IFN-γ], interleukin 4 [IL-4], and MIP1-α), myocardial inflammation, and morphological and oxidative cardiac injury; these results exceeded the isolated effects of Bz. The combination of Bz and curcumin was also effective at mitigating liver toxicity triggered by Bz, increasing the parasitological cure rate, and preventing infection recrudescence in noncured animals, even when the animals were treated with 50% of the recommended therapeutic dose of Bz. By limiting the toxic effects of Bz and enhancing its antiparasitic efficiency, the combination of the drug with curcumin may be a relevant therapeutic strategy that is possibly better tolerated in ChD treatment than Bz-based monotherapy.

scholarly journals Pigmentation loci as markers for genome editing in the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius prolixus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Berni ◽  
D. Bressan ◽  
Y. Simão ◽  
A. Julio ◽  
P. L. Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Rhodnius Prolixus ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Alternative Strategies ◽  
Primary Model ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Eye Pigmentation

AbstractThe kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus is a major vector for Chagas disease in the Americas, and also considered as the primary model for functional studies. Prospective transgenic approaches and genome editing strategies hold great promise for controlling insect populations as well as disease propagation. In this context, identifying visible genetic markers for transgenic methodologies is of paramount importance to advance the field. Here we have identified and analyzed the function of putative cuticle and eye color genes by investigating the effect of gene knockdown on fertility, viability, and the generation of visible phenotypes. Synthesis of the dark, yellow and tan pigments present in the cuticle of most insects depends on the function of key genes encoding enzymes in the tyrosine pathway. Knockdown of the R. prolixus yellow and aaNAT/pro orthologs produces striking alterations in cuticle color. Surprisingly, knockdown of ebony does not generate visible phenotypes. Since loss of ebony function results in a dark cuticle in several insect orders, we conclude that R. prolixus evolved alternative strategies for cuticle coloration, possibly including the loss of a pigmentation function for an entire branch of the tyrosine pathway. Knockdown of the scarlet and brown genes - encoding ABC transporters - alters cuticle and eye pigmentation, implying that the transport of pigment into proper organelles is an important process both for cuticle and eye coloration in this species. Therefore, this analysis identifies for the first time potential visible markers for transgenesis in a hemipteran vector for a debilitating human disease.Author SummaryThe hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus - also known as a kissing bug - is a main vector transmitting the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, a debilitating infection estimated to affect more than 6 million people in Central and South America. In order to limit disease spread, an important measure is insect vector control. However, kissing bugs - like other insects - develop resistance to insecticides. Alternative strategies based on transgenesis and the recently developed CRISPR- based genome edition hold great promise to control vector population or generate parasite-resistant insects. For these approaches to be feasible in R. prolixus, it is critical to identify visible phenotypic markers. Here we identify and describe several genes controlling cuticle and eye pigmentation that are well-suited putative landing sites for transformation strategies. Among these, loss-of-function mutations in the ABC transporter encoding scarlet and the tyrosine pathway enzyme encoding aaNAT/pro generate striking and easily visible phenotypes. Importantly, the knockdown of these genes does not affect insect viability and fertility under laboratory conditions. Our results suggest that R. prolixus has developed alternative strategies for cuticle coloration involving the loss of an entire branch of tanning loci, while the other branch producing cuticle patterns by generating non-pigmented areas has gained critical importance.

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