info:eu-repo/semantics/article
L-arginine supplementation reduces mortality and improves disease outcome in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi
Fecha
2018-01Registro en:
Carbajosa, Sofía; Rodríguez Angulo, Héctor O.; Gea, Susana; Chillón Marinas, Carlos; Poveda, Cristina; et al.; L-arginine supplementation reduces mortality and improves disease outcome in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi; Public Library of Science; PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases; 12; 1; 1-2018; 1-16
1935-2727
1935-2735
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Carbajosa, Sofía
Rodríguez Angulo, Héctor O.
Gea, Susana
Chillón Marinas, Carlos
Poveda, Cristina
Maza, María C.
Colombet, Diana
Fresno, Manuel
Girones Pujol, Nuria
Resumen
Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi is a neglected disease that affects about 7 million people in Latin America, recently emerging on other continents due to migration. As infection in mice is characterized by depletion of plasma L-arginine, the effect on infection outcome was tested in mice with or without L-arginine supplementation and treatment with 1400W, a specific inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). We found that levels of L-arginine and citrulline were reduced in the heart and plasma of infected mice, whereas levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous iNOS inhibitor, were higher. Moreover, L-arginine supplementation decreased parasitemia and heart parasite burden, improving clinical score and survival. Nitric oxide production in heart tissue and plasma was increased by L-arginine supplementation, while pharmacological inhibition of iNOS yielded an increase in parasitemia and worse clinical score. Interestingly, electrocardiograms improved in mice supplemented with L-arginine, suggesting that it modulates infection and heart function and is thus a potential biomarker of pathology. More importantly, L-arginine may be useful for treating T. cruzi infection, either alone or in combination with other antiparasitic drugs.