Effect of biotherapy T. cruzi 7x in several therapeutic schemes on experimental infection by Trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract

Background: Biotherapy is used against infectious diseases treatment and prophylaxis and has been investigated by many researchers [1,2].
 
 Aim: Assess the effect of biotherapy 7x T. cruzi on several treatment schemes, upon experimental infection by T. cruzi.
 
 Methodology: A blind, controlled and randomized by drawing experiment was performed. Male Swiss mice, four weeks old were utilized. Groups evaluated: IC – Infection Control (treated with water – 9 animals); TBBA7x3days – Treated with biotherapy 7x 3 days before and 3 days after infection (5 animals); TBB7x3days – Treated with 7x biotherapy 3 days before infection (5 animals); TBBAI7x3days – Treated with 7x biotherapy 3 days before infection and after infection indefinitely (6 animals). Animals were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1400 blood trypomastigotes Y strain. Biotherapy: prepared according to Farmacopéia Homeopática Brasileira [3]. Treatment plan: offered ad libitum, in the water (10µL/mL). Parasitological parameters: parasitemia was assessed according Brener’s technique. [4]. Clinical parameters: body hair aspect, edema, movement, diarrhea, body weight, temperature, food and water intake. Ethics: Registration 030/2008 UEM Ethics Committee for Experiments in Animals. Statistical analysis: was performed using the tests Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney testes, significance 5%.
 
 Results: The best effect obtained was with the TBBA7x3days, both for clinical and parasitological parameters. It was expressed by lower parasitemia curve (p=0.04) and decrease of patent period tendency, of total parasitemia, of mortality and survival of the animals increase (Table 1). Evolution of parasitemia was distinct for the several treatment schemes. Survival of at least one mouse by treated groups is an extremely important data, since Y strain causes 100% mortality in Swiss mice.
 
 TBBAI7x3days group showed begger tendency in raising total parasitemia compared with IC. Although it might have occurred, this group presented 80% mortality rate compared with other groups. Animals from TBBA7x3days also showed better evolution of weight body, temperature, food (p=0.078-10%) and water intake, body hair aspect and edema development. Diarrhea and paralysis were only observed in IC group mice, highlighting the biotherapy use benefits.
 
 Conclusions: Best effect was obtained TBBA7x3days, both for clinical and parasitological parameters. It’s possible to speculate that in this regimen, biotherapy was able to modulate, more effectively, the host’s immune system, decreasing the number of parasites.