Scholarship 11/23378-3 - Trypanosoma cruzi, Acetilcolina - BV FAPESP
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Study of colon contractile response in infected mice with blood trypomastigotes forms of Trypanosoma cruzi QM2 strain

Grant number: 11/23378-3
Support Opportunities:Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
Start date until: February 01, 2012
End date until: December 31, 2013
Field of knowledge:Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
Principal Investigator:Luciamare Perinetti Alves Martins
Grantee:Luiz Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Barros D'Elia Zanella
Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília (FAMEMA). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). Marília , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chagas disease is considered a major public health problem in Latin America, specifically in their continental countries. It is estimated that there are between 12 and 14 million people infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in 19 American countries of Iberian colonization, although sporadic cases of natural transmission have been reported in the United States. Currently, prevention has assumed an important role in controlling the disease because the treatment is still a major challenge, since the use of chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to be ineffective in most cases. In Chagas' disease, the organ most commonly affected is the heart, however, the esophagus and colon can also be affected, compromising the quality of life of infected individuals. In the esophagus and colon, the inflammatory process causes a quantitative reduction of the intramural nerve plexus neurons, leading to dilatation and elongation of the same causing megaesophagus and megacolon, respectively. Among differents T. cruzi strains, some seem to have a predilection for specific tissues, such as the QM2 strain, which besides the heart, can cause chronic inflammation in the myenteric plexus with mild mural inflammation in the chronic phase. Some research has shown a relationship between T. cruzi infection and increased levels of acetylcholinesterase in the serum of mice in response to the infectious process, which can be related to"megas'" signs and symptoms since acetylcholine appears to act on the cofactor of NF-kB transcription. To date numerous studies have been conducted, however, the pathophysiology of Chagas disease is not yet fully understood. Thus, this study aims to contribute in the search for new understandings of Chagas disease.

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Scientific publications
(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)
CAMPELLO, A. C.; ZANELLA, L. G. F. A. B. D. E.; SUZUKI, R. B.; TOKUMO, M. O.; CHAGAS, E. F. B.; BALEOTTI, W.; SPERANCA, M. A.; MARTINS, L. P. A.. Correlation of plasma butyrylcholinesterase concentration with Acethylcholinesterase H353N polymorphism in the inflammatory response of Chagas disease patients. Parasitology International, v. 76, . (11/23378-3, 13/14166-8, 16/14514-4)

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