Figure 1.
Detection of antigens and DNA of T. cruzi in urine of guinea pigs experimentally infected.
1.A. Antigenic bands in urine samples of guinea pigs infected with T. cruzi. Bands were detected by Western Blot using a polyclonal antibody against excretory-secretory trypomastigote T. cruzi antigen (TESA). C-: Negative control (RPMI 1640 medium). C+: Positive control (TESA antigen). MW: molecular weight marker. Urine samples of infected guinea pigs: Lane 1) 165 dpi, lane 2) 25 dpi, lane 4) 115 dpi, and lane 5 and 7) 55 dpi. Urine samples of non- infected guinea pigs: Lanes 3, 6 and 8. Bands under 70 kDa were considered unspecific because 25% of the non-infected guinea pigs had a reaction to these low bands. 1. B. Detection of trans-renal DNA in urine samples of guinea pig infected with T. cruzi. Bands were detected by PCR using primers TcZ1/TcZ2. C+: Positive control (DNA of T. cruzi from medium culture). MW: molecular weight marker. Urine samples of infected guinea pigs: Lane 1) 25 dpi, lane 3) 55 dpi, lane 4) 40 dpi, lane 5) 55 dpi, and lane 7) 25 dpi. Urine samples of non- infected guinea pigs: Lanes 2 and 6.
Table 1.
Kinetics of antigen detection in urine samples of guinea pig infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.
Figure 2.
Levels of T. cruzi DNA in blood, heart and kidney during the course of infection.
Levels of copy number of T. cruzi DNA were detected by quantitative PCR. Values represent means and bars represent the standard deviation. Levels of DNA were calculated per ml and mg in blood and tissue, respectively. Eight animals were evaluated in each time point.
Table 2.
T. cruzi antigen and DNA in urine and relationship with systemic detection of the parasite.
Figure 3.
Histopathological changes in kidney tissue of guinea pigs infected with T. cruzi.
Hematoxylin-eosin stain: A). Amastigote nests (arrows) and tubular necrosis, 25 dpi (500x). B). Focal and mild periglomerular and interstitial inflammation (arrows), 25 dpi (100x). C). Glomerulus of non-infected guinea pig. Note the number of nucleus (1 to 3) in the mesangium (1000x). D). Mesangial hypercellularity and congestion (arrows), 365 dpi (400x). E). Dilatation of proximal tubules (arrows) and periglomerular inflammation, 40 dpi, (200x). Masson’s Trichromic stain: F). Kidney tissue of non-infected guinea pig (400x). G). Mild increase in interstitial collagen, 365 dpi (400x). H). Moderate increase in interstitial collagen and tubular atrophy, 25 dpi (200x).
Figure 4.
Levels of serum creatinine, serum urea, urine protein and urine KIM-1 in guinea pigs.
Bars represent mean values per group; lines on the bars represent the standard deviation * Statistically significant (p<0.05). Number of animals in infected group: 5 days = 8, 15 days = 8, 20 days = 8, 25 days = 8, 40–55 days = 16, 115–365 days = 19. Number of animals in non-infected group: 5 days = 2, 15 days = 2, 20 days = 2, 25 days = 2, 40–55 days = 4, 115–365 days = 6.
Table 3.
Histopathological and biochemical changes during kidney injury in C. porcellus infected with T. cruzi.
Table 4.
Detection of T. cruzi antigen and DNA in urine samples and kidney injury during infection.