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The sympathetic nervous system affects the susceptibility and course of Trypanosoma cruzi infection
- Source :
- Brain, behavior, and immunity. 58
- Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) is an intracellular parasite that causes Chagas’ disease, a major health problem in Latin America. Using a murine model of infection with this parasite, we have previously shown that corticosterone blood levels are markedly elevated during the course of the disease in C57Bl/6 male mice and that this increase is protective for the host by restricting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Since the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis usually operates in a concerted way with the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), we have now studied whether noradrenergic nerves can affect the course of T. cruzi infection and the sexual dimorphism observed in the disease. We found a decreased splenic noradrenaline concentration and content, paralleled by a reduction in noradrenergic nerve fibers in the spleen of infected mice, and increased HPA axis activity. These alterations were more marked in males than in females. When the spontaneous loss of noradrenergic nerve fibers was advanced by chemical sympathectomy prior to infection, males died earlier and mortality significantly increased in females. Chemical denervation did not significantly affect the concentration of specific IgM and IgG2a antibodies to T. cruzi, and did not worsen myocarditis, but resulted in increased parasitemia and IL-6 and IFN-γ blood levels. The results obtained in this model of parasitic disease provide further indications of the relevance of interactions between the immune system and the SNS for host defense. Fil: Roggero, Eduardo Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Perez, Ana Rosa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Pollachini, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Villar, Silvina Raquel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Wildmann, Johannes. Research Group Immunophysiology; Alemania Fil: Besedovsky, Hugo. Research Group Immunophysiology; Alemania Fil: del Rey, Adriana. Research Group Immunophysiology; Alemania
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Chagas disease
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Sympathetic nervous system
CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD
Sympathetic Nervous System
Immunology
Inmunología
Spleen
Parasitemia
Biology
03 medical and health sciences
Behavioral Neuroscience
Norepinephrine
0302 clinical medicine
Immune system
HPA Axis
Internal medicine
parasitic diseases
medicine
Animals
Chagas Disease
Trypanosoma cruzi
Denervation
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Sex Characteristics
Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
Survival Analysis
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Medicina Básica
030104 developmental biology
medicine.anatomical_structure
Endocrinology
Disease Progression
Cytokines
Female
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10902139
- Volume :
- 58
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Brain, behavior, and immunity
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....bb51f6744c18e10cc18415d17da1e5e4