| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3416470 | Microbial Pathogenesis | 2015 | 5 Pages |
•Toxoplasmosis is a common infectious disease of difficult treatment.•Toxoplasma gondii is able to manipulate cells in the immune system and cytokine response.•T. gondii infected animals release high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and low levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines.•Inclusion complex of resveratrol associated with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (ST) is able to reverse cytokine levels.•The association resveratrol with ST modulates the inflammatory process and reduces the number of cysts in brain in mice.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resveratrol on its free form and complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) when associated with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (ST) on cytokines levels of mice (n = 60) experimentally infected by Toxoplasma gondii. Groups A and E were used as controls (untreated): negative and positive, respectively. The onset of treatment started 20 days post-infection (PI), and it lasted for 10 consecutive days. ST was administered orally in doses of 0.5 mg kg−1 for groups B and F, while 100 mg kg−1 was the dose for resveratrol in its free form (groups C - G), inclusion complex (groups D and H), and on free and inclusion complex together (groups I - J). On day 31 PI, blood samples were collected in order to evaluate the cytokine profile. The mice that received drug combination (I and J) showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the number of cysts in the brain compared to other infected groups (E – H). The results showed that mice from the Group E had increased (P < 0.001) levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, while IL-10 levels were reduced when compared to the Group A. Additionally, there were increased levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ in animals of groups C and D, respectively (P < 0.05). Animals of the Group B showed reduced levels of IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ (P < 0.05). Mice infected and treated (groups F – J) showed increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines along with a reduction of IL-10. Treatment with the combination of drugs (the Group J) led to a protective effect, i.e. reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, resveratrol associated with ST was able to modulate seric cytokine profile and moderate the tissue inflammatory process caused by T. gondii infection, as well as to reduce parasite multiplication.
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