Artículos de revistas
Prior and concomitant dehydroepiandrosterone treatment affects immunologic response of cultured macrophages infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro?
Fecha
2011Registro en:
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY, v.177, n.3/Abr, p.242-246, 2011
0304-4017
10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.12.009
Autor
KUEHN, Christian C.
OLIVEIRA, Luiz Gustavo R.
SANTOS, Carla Domingues
AUGUSTO, Mariana B.
TOLDO, Miriam P. Alonso
PRADO JR., Jose Clovis do
Institución
Resumen
DHEA, a steroid hormone synthesized from cholesterol by cells of the adrenal cortex, plays an essential role in enhancing the host`s resistance to different experimental infections. Receptors for this hormone can be found in distinct immune cells (especially macrophages) that are known to be the first line defense against Trypanosoma cruzi infection. These cells operate through an indirect pathway releasing nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines such TNF-alpha and IL-12 which in turn trigger an enhancement of natural killer cells and lymphocytes which finally secrete pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The effects of pre- and post-infection DHEA treatment on production of IL-12, TNF alpha and NO were evaluated. T. cruzi infected macrophages post treated with DHEA displayed enhanced concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-12 and NO. Probably, the mechanisms that induced the production of cytokines by infected cells are more efficient when the immune system has been stimulated first by parasite invasion, suggesting that the protective role of DHEA is greater when administered post infection. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.