Trypanosoma congolense Infections: Induced Nitric Oxide Inhibits Parasite Growth In Vivo. (1st March 2011)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Wenfa; Wei, Guojian; Pan, Wanling; Tabel, Henry
• Other Names: Jansen Ana Maria Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of parasitology research. Volume 2011(2011)
• Publication Date: 2011-03-01
• Subjects: Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitology -- Research -- Periodicals; Parasitic Diseases; Parasitology; Parasitology; Parasitology -- Research; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; 616.96
• DOI: 10.1155/2011/316067
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-0023

Abstract

Abstract : Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice infected intraperitoneally with5 × 10 6 Trypanosoma congolense survive for more than 30 days. C57BL/6 mice deficient in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS −/− ) and infected with 10 3 or5 × 10 6 parasites do not control the parasitemia and survive for only14 ± 7 or6.8 ± 0.1 days, respectively. Bloodstream trypanosomes of iNOS −/− mice infected with5 × 10 6 T. congolense had a significantly higher ratio of organisms in the S+G2+M phases of the cell cycle than trypanosomes in WT mice. We have reported that IgM anti-VSG-mediated phagocytosis of T. congolense by macrophages inhibits nitric oxide (NO) synthesis via CR3 (CD11b/CD18). Here, we show that during the first parasitemia, but not at later stages of infection, T. congolense -infected CD11b −/− mice produce more NO and have a significantly lower parasitemia than infected WT mice. We conclude that induced NO contributes to the control of parasitemia by inhibiting the growth of the trypanosomes.