Effect of the Plasmid-DNA Vaccination on Macroscopic and Microscopic Damage Caused by the Experimental Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in the Canine Model

• Published in: BioMed research international Vol. 2013; no. 2013; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Arce-Fonseca, Minerva, Vallejo, Maite, Alejandre-Aguilar, Ricardo, Ballinas-Verdugo, Martha A., Aranda-Fraustro, Alberto, García-Mendoza, Humberto, Carrillo-Sánchez, Silvia C., Rodríguez-Morales, Olivia, Rosales-Encina, José Luis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2013
• Subjects: Animals; Chagas Disease - genetics; Chagas Disease - immunology; Chagas Disease - pathology; Chagas Disease - prevention & control; Disease Models, Animal; Dogs; Female; Humans; Male; Myocardium - immunology; Myocardium - pathology; Plasmids - immunology; Plasmids - pharmacology; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - immunology; Protozoan Proteins - pharmacology; Protozoan Vaccines - genetics; Protozoan Vaccines - immunology; Protozoan Vaccines - pharmacology; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - genetics; Trypanosoma cruzi - immunology; Vaccines, DNA - genetics; Vaccines, DNA - immunology; Vaccines, DNA - pharmacology
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/826570

The dog is considered the main domestic reservoir for Trypanosoma cruzi infection and a suitable experimental animal model to study the pathological changes during the course of Chagas disease (CD). Vaccine development is one of CD prevention methods to protect people at risk. Two plasmids containing genes encoding a trans-sialidase protein (TcSP) and an amastigote-specific glycoprotein (TcSSP4) were used as DNA vaccines in a canine model. Splenomegaly was not found in either of the recombinant plasmid-immunized groups; however, cardiomegaly was absent in animals immunized only with the plasmid containing the TcSSP4 gene. The inflammation of subendocardial and myocardial tissues was prevented only with the immunization with TcSSP4 gene. In conclusion, the vaccination with these genes has a partial protective effect on the enlargement of splenic and cardiac tissues during the chronic CD and on microscopic hearth damage, since both plasmids prevented splenomegaly but only one avoided cardiomegaly, and the lesions in heart tissue of dog immunized with plasmid containing the TcSSP4 gene covered only subepicardial tissue.