Trypanosoma cruzi: in vitro morphological alterations induced by actinomycin D

Actinomycin (ActD) is an antibiotic that binds DNA, preventing transcription. When a Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice is treated with this drug, the parasite loses its ability to multiply, enabling protection. In this study, axenic cultured T. cruzi parasites were exposed to different concentrations of ActD (10, 20, and 50 microg/ml), all of them being able to inhibit growth and to alter the mobility. Nevertheless, the parasites remained alive and motile for at least 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy of trypomastigotes treated with 10 microg/ml of ActD for 24 h showed a modification in their morphology which suggests a change in the parasite cytoskeleton.