Treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice with propolis promotes changes in the immune response

Ethanol extract of Bulgarian propolis (Et-Blg) was administered by oral route in doses ranging from 25 to 100 mg/kg body weight in experimental Trypanosoma cruzi-infected Swiss mice. Treatment with 50 mg Et-Blg/kg body weight/day led to a decrease in parasitemia and showed no hepatic or renal toxic effect. Treatment with Et-Blg led to a decrease in the spleen mass and modulated the initial inflammatory reaction as demonstrated by analysis of the leukocyte profile in peripheral blood, quantification of T cells subsets, and phenotypic markers in the spleen. Preferential expansion of CD8+ and partial inhibition in the increase of CD4+CD69+ and CD8+CD69+ in CD4+CD44+ and CD8+CD44+ and in the decrease of CD8+CD62L in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice were also observed. Taken together, our data indicate that treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice with Et-Blg interferes with the basic properties of immune cells.