2 research outputs found
Reversibility of muscle and heart lesions in chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice after late trypanomicidal treatment
Reversibility of Muscle and Heart Lesions in Chronic, Trypanosoma cruzi Infected Mice after Late Trypanomicidal Treatment
The effect of trypanomicidal treatment upon established
histopathological Trypanosoma cruzi induced lesions was
studied in Swiss mice. The animals were inoculated with 50
trypomastigotes and infection was allowed to progress without treatment
for 99 days. After this period, the animals were divided in three
groups, treated for 30 days with either placebo, benznidazole (200
mg/kg/day) or nifurtimox (100 mg/kg/day). These treatments induced 94
and 100% cure rates respectively as detected by xenodiagnosis and
reduction of antibody levels. Autopsies and histopathological studies
of heart, urinary bladder and skeletal muscle performed on day 312
after infection showed almost complete healing without residual
lesions. As long periods were allowed between infection, treatment and
autopsy, the results indicate that tissue lesions depend, up to
advances stages, on the continuous presence of the parasite