Neutrophils increase or reduce parasite burden in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected macrophages, depending on host strain: role of neutrophil elastase.

ABSTRACT: Neutrophils are involved in the initial steps of most responses to pathogens and are essential components of the innate immune response. Due to the ability to produce and release various soluble mediators, neutrophils may participate in the regulation of the inflammatory response. Little is known about the role of neutrophils during protozoan infections including infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. In the present study we investigated the importance of inflammatory neutrophils on macrophage activation and T. cruzi replication in vitro, in cells obtained from BALB/c mice and C57Bl/6 mice. Co-cultures of BALB/c apoptotic or live neutrophils with infected peritoneal macrophages resulted in increased replication of the parasites and in the production of TGF-β and PGE2. The treatment with anti-TGF-

SUBMITTER: Luna-Gomes T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3944110 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature