Efeitos do pré-tratamento com etanol na suscetibilidade à infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi, avaliada pelo perfil de citocinas produzidas por células apresentadoras de antígenos e linfócitos

Abstract

Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), induces immune response whose efficiency is important for the infection to persist or be eliminated. With the consumption of ethanol (EtOH), there is a change in the expression of co-signaling molecules in antigen presenting cells (APCs) that play a fundamental role in the determination of Tlymphocyte effector function, directing the profile of these cells to tolerance or inflammation. Our study evaluated the phenotypic profile of APCs and T lymphocytes in uninfected and T. cruzi infected mice of the C57/BL6 lineage and ingested or not ethanol (EtOH) for 15 days. Greater parasitemia were observed in the first days of inoculation in the group that consumed EtOH. Animals that ingested EtOH showed a significant increase in IL-4 production by CD4 + T lymphocytes. Those who ingested EtOH and were infected with T. cruzi showed a significant increase in IFN-γ and IL-4 in CD4 + T lymphocytes, in addition to an increase in IL-10. They also showed a tendency to increase IL-10 in CD8 + T lymphocytes. Significant reduction in IFN-γ was observed in NK cells in the alcohol-ingested group and infected by T. cruzi. Therefore, the consumption of ethanol has a significant impact on the population of T lymphocytes and NK cells, promoting a predominance of T helper 2 inflammatory profile, characterized by the decrease of cellular activation molecules, such as IFN-γ, increase of molecules associated with activities modulation of CD8 + T lymphocytes (IL-10) and increase of IL-4 in CD4 + T lymphocytes. The results obtained with this study allow to conclude that there is an increase in parasitemia on the third day of detection, reflecting a higher susceptibility to infection in the animals that ingested ethanol.