Influence sexual dimorphism on the persistence of blood parasites in infected Calomys callosus

• Published in: Research in veterinary science Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 515 - 521
• Main Authors: Lourenço, Angela Maria, Levy, Antônio Marcos A., Caetano, Leony Cristina, Carraro Abrahão, Ana Amélia, Prado, José Clóvis do
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier India Pvt Ltd 01-12-2008; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: animal diseases; Animals; Arvicolinae - parasitology; biological resistance; Biomedical research; Blood; Calomys; Calomys callosus; Chagas disease; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Chagas Disease - pathology; Chagas Disease - transmission; Chagas Disease - veterinary; chronic diseases; correlation; disease resistance; Female; Females; Gender; gender differences; immune response; Immune system; Infections; Male; Males; parasitemia; Parasites; pathogen survival; pathogenesis; Protozoa; Rodent Diseases - parasitology; Rodent Diseases - pathology; Rodent Diseases - transmission; rodents; Sex Characteristics; Sexual dimorphism; Signal transduction; Strains; Studies; Trypanosoma; Trypanosoma cruzi; trypanosomiasis; Veterinary medicine; Calomys callosus; Trypanosoma; Gender; Sexual dimorphism; Strains
• ISSN: 0034-5288; 1532-2661
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2008.01.008

Gender has long been known to be a contributory factor in the incidence and progression of disorders associated with immune system disregulation. The aims of this experiment were to verify the influences of sexual dimorphism on the persistence of blood parasites out of the acute phase of infection. Male and female
Calomys callosus were separated and infected with two strains of
Trypanosoma cruzi, and let age until 120 days. Xenogiagnostic, culture of organs and blood, histopathology and lytic antibody percentages were evaluated on late chronic phase. Xenodiagnosis, hemoculture and lytic antibody percentages were positive from 45 until 120 days. For both strains in adrenal and heart, amastigote burdens were present until 45 days, scarcely found on 60 days and absent on 120 days. Steroid hormones, although having a protective role, does not enable animals to get completely rid of the infection. Even without showing apparent signs of pathological unbalance, parasites persists, hidden throughout the host’s body.