Programmed cell death in Trypanosoma cruzi induced by Bothrops jararaca venom

Autor: Poliana Deolindo, André S. Teixeira-Ferreira, Edésio JT Melo, Andrea Cristina Veto Arnholdt, Wanderley de Souza, Elias W Alves, Renato A DaMatta
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2005
Předmět:
Zdroj: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Vol 100, Iss 1, Pp 33-38 (2005)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0074-0276
1678-8060
DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02762005000100006
Popis: Cells die through a programmed process or accidental death, know as apoptosis or necrosis, respectively. Bothrops jararaca is a snake whose venom inhibits the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms causing mitochondrion swelling and cell death. The aim of the present work was to determine the type of death induced in epimastigotes of T. cruzi by this venom. Parasite growth was inhibited after venom treatment, and 50% growth inhibition was obtained with 10 µg/ml. Ultrastructural observations confirmed mitochondrion swelling and kinetoplast disorganization. Furthermore, cytoplasmic condensation, loss of mitochondrion membrane potential, time-dependent increase in phosphatidylserine exposure at the outer leaflet plasma membrane followed by permeabilization, activation of caspase like protein and DNA fragmentation were observed in epimastigotes throughout a 24 h period of venom treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that the stress induced in epimastigote by this venom, triggers a programmed cell death process, similar to metazoan apoptosis, which leads to parasite death.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals