Background: Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and is endemic of the Americas. The control of the disease is restricted to toxic and potentially teratogenic drugs, which limit the use during pregnancy. The use of food supplementation offers a safe and low-cost form to alleviate Chagas disease symptoms, mostly in areas with alimentary risk. For example, zinc demonstrates positive effects in immune response, including in Chagas disease during pregnancy.
Purpose: This study describes the innate response in pregnant rats chronically infected with T. cruzi and supplemented with zinc.
Methods: Pregnant female Wistar rats, infected with T. cruzi, were treated with 20 mg/kg/day zinc sulfate and euthanized on the 18th day. Samples (plasma, splenocytes, and peritoneal exudate) were collected and several immune parameters (nitric oxide, RT1B, CD80/CD86, MCP-1, CD11b/c, NK/NKT, IL-2, IL-10, INF-cc, and apoptosis) evaluated.
Results: Under Zinc supplementation and/or T. cruzi infection, the gestation developed normally. Several innate immune parameters such as RT1B, CD80/CD86, MCP-1 expressing lymphocytes, IL-2, and IL-17 were positively altered, whereas nitric oxide, CD11b/c, NK/NKT, apoptosis, INF-γ, and corticosterone demonstrated a pro-pregnancy pattern.
Conclusion: Our results indicated that zinc has diverse effects on immune response during pregnancy. An anti-T. cruzi immunity, as well as a pro-gestation response, were observed after zinc supplementation. The complete comprehension of zinc supplementation in pregnancy will base an adequate strategy to alleviate Chagas disease symptoms and propagation, especially for populations from endemic areas.
Keywords: Chagas disease; Chronic phase; Pregnancy; Zinc.