Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates
13:55

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Published on: January 27, 2019

Peripheral macrophage depletion reduces central nervous system parasitism and damage in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected

Grace C Silva1, Patrícia R A Nagib, Egler Chiari

  • 1Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, 31270.901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Journal of Neuroimmunology
|March 17, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Blood-born macrophages play a key role in Trypanosoma cruzi brain infections in rats. Depleting these macrophages reduced parasite invasion and brain inflammation, suggesting a therapeutic target.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimmunology
  • Parasitology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Trypanosoma cruzi infection, the causative agent of Chagas disease, can affect the central nervous system.
  • The role of peripheral immune cells, particularly macrophages, in the brain's response to T. cruzi infection is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the contribution of blood-derived macrophages to the brain's reaction during Trypanosoma cruzi infection in suckling rats.

Main Methods:

  • Suckling rats were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.
  • Peripheral macrophages were selectively depleted using clodronate liposomes.
  • Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze cell infiltration (ED1+, ED2+, CD8+, NKR+) and expression of ICAM-1 and occludin in brain tissue.

Main Results:

  • T. cruzi infection led to increased ED1+ and ED2+ macrophage populations in the brain parenchyma, meninges, and perivascular spaces.
  • Infiltration of CD8+ and NKR+ cells was observed, along with upregulated ICAM-1 and downregulated occludin in parenchymal blood vessels.
  • Macrophage depletion significantly reduced parasite load, nodular lesions, ICAM-1 upregulation, and leukocyte infiltration, while preserving occludin levels.

Conclusions:

  • Blood-borne macrophages are crucial mediators of parasite invasion and contribute significantly to the inflammatory brain response during Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
  • Targeting peripheral macrophages may represent a viable strategy to mitigate neuroinflammation and parasite burden in T. cruzi infections.

More Related Videos

Concomitant Isolation of Primary Astrocytes and Microglia for Protozoa Parasite Infection09:34

Concomitant Isolation of Primary Astrocytes and Microglia for Protozoa Parasite Infection

Published on: March 18, 2020

Related Concept Videos

American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Antiprotozoal Agents01:21

Antiprotozoal Agents

Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...