Effect of actinomycin D on Trypanosoma cruzi

Viable metacyclic forms of T. cruzi, Y strain, treated with an adequate dose of actinomycin D (50 micrograms Act-D/ml/10(7) parasites/ml for 72 h at 28 degrees C) showed the following properties: 1) they lost their ability to replicate in culture medium, in blood and in tissues of normal mice and were no longer able to incorporate tritiated thymidine; 2) they could not penetrate into Vero cells and could not replicate inside normal macrophages; 3) they retained their immunogenicity and the ability to protect mice against a virulent infection; 4) they did not induce histological lesions as described in chronic experimental Chagas' disease.