Trypanosoma cruzi infection in offspring born to chagasic C3H/He mice

• Main Authors: Silvana Marques de Araújo, Egler Chiari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 1996-04-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: maternal influence; decreased resistance; maternal-fetal relationship; Trypanosoma cruzi
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02761996000200017

This study reports the effects of Trypanosoma cruzi infection induced in C3H/He male and female mice born to chagasic mice. An experimental model was established infecting female C3H/He mice with a low virulent T. cruzi clone. In this model, mating, fertilization, pregnancy evolution and delivery was carried out successfully. The offspring was infected at four, six and eigth weeks of age. The results showed that the offspring born to chagasic mothers present decreased resistance to acquired T. cruzi infection. This decreased resistance was expressed by higher levels of parasitaemia and higher mortality rates in offspring born to chagasic mothers than in controls. Age and sex were shown to be important factors of this phenomenon. The results suggest that maternal immune system products can modulate the immune response of the offspring.