Trypanosoma brucei products activate components of the reactive response in astrocytes in vitro

A study was made of the effects of T. b. brucei and the disrupted parasite material on different components of the reactive response of astrocytes in primary cultures prepared from neonatal rats and C6 glioma cells. The effects were compared with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and fragments of the C6 cells. The disrupted trypanosome material, LPS and C6 fragments caused dose--and time--dependent alterations in morphology of the primary cultures from flat to stellate shape, increases in levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAp) and enhanced MHC class I and II expression. Exposure to trypanosome material and C6 fragments caused marked increases in phagolysosomes and lysosomes in the primary cultures. The findings demonstrate that T. b. brucei products and astrocyte cell debris are internalized and initiate astrogliosis in vitro.