Trypanosoma cruzi: in vitro morphological alterations
induced by actinomycin D.
Pharmacology 2003 Feb;67(2):55-8
Zaverucha do Valle T, Calabrese KS, Corte-Real S, Baetas WC, Goncalves da
Costa SC.
Laboratorio de Imunomodulacao, Departamento de Protozoologia, Instituto
Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. taniazv@bigfoot.com
Actinomycin (ActD) is an antibiotic that binds DNA, preventing transcription.
When a Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice is treated with this drug, the
parasite loses its ability to multiply, enabling protection. In this study,
axenic cultured T. cruzi parasites were exposed to different concentrations of
ActD (10, 20, and 50 microg/ml), all of them being able to inhibit growth and
to alter the mobility. Nevertheless, the parasites remained alive and motile
for at least 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy of trypomastigotes treated
with 10 microg/ml of ActD for 24 h showed a modification in their morphology
which suggests a change in the parasite cytoskeleton. Copyright 2003 S. Karger
AG, Basel
