Evaluation of vitamin C effects on glycemic control and antioxidant defense in acute phase of Chagas Disease

• Grant number: 16/21260-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Luciamare Perinetti Alves Martins
• Grantee: Renata Facina dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Marília (FAMEMA). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). Marília , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, which exhibits an acute phase with high parasitaemia and a chronic phase that causes injury in the cardiac nerve plexus, myenteric and esophageal. These damages are caused by the immune response of the host and by the aerobic metabolism of the parasite, generating reactive-oxygen species (ROSs) and reactive-nitrogen species (RNSs). Therefore, the host organism uses components of the antioxidant system such as reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase and uric acid. There is evidence that the infection may cause hypoglycemia and hypoinsulinemia. The project aims to evaluate the effect of vitamin C supplementation in glucose, liver glycogen and insulin levels, as well as determine the effect of ascorbic acid on the production and oxidant activity of uric acid and GSH. 60 "Swiss" male mice with 20 days old will be used, which will be divided into four groups: A, B, C and D, with 15 mice in each group. A and B groups will not be infected, while the groups C and D will be infected intraperitoneally with 5,0 x 104 trypomastigotes of T. cruzi QM2 strain. B and D groups will receive 500mg / day of vitamin C. All groups will be treated for 60 days. All animals will be weighed individually and weekly. Five animals from each group will be euthanized on 15th, 30th and 60th day and fragments of pancreas and liver will be collected for histopathologic analysis in addition to the determination of liver glycogen. On those days, blood will also be collected by cardiac puncture for determination of GSH, insulin and uric acid. Thus, the results will demonstrate the dynamics of vitamin C effect on glycemic control and antioxidant activity during the course of the acute phase of Chagas disease. (AU)