Browsing by Author "Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de"

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    Ageing down-modulates liver inflammatory immune responses to schistosome infection in mice.
    (2010) Faria, Elaine Speziali de; Aranha, Claudio Henrique Magalhães; Carvalho, Andréa Teixeira de; Santiago, Andrezza Fernanda; Oliveira, Rafael Pires de; Rezende, Michelle Carvalho de; Carneiro, Claudia Martins; Corrêa, Deborah Aparecida Negrão; Coelho, Paulo Marcos Zech; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de
    Ageing is associated with several alterations in the immune system. Our aim in this study was to compare the development of immunity to Schistosoma mansoni infection in young versus aged C57Bl ⁄ 6 mice using the liver as the main organ to evaluate pathological alterations and immune responses. In the acute phase, young mice had large liver granulomas with fibrosis and inflammatory cells. Chronic phase in young animals was associated with immunomodulation of granulomas that became reduced in size and cellular infiltrate. On the other hand, aged animals presented granulomas of smaller sizes already in the acute phase. Chronic infection in these mice was followed by no alteration in any of the inflammatory parameters in the liver. In concert with this finding, there was an increase in activated CD4+ T, CD19+ B and NK liver cells in young mice after infection whereas old mice had already higher frequencies of activated B, NK and CD4+ T liver cells and infection does not change these frequencies. After infection, liver production of inflammatory and regulatory cytokines such as IFN-c, IL-4 and IL-10 increased in young but not in old mice that had high levels of IL-4 and IL-10 regardless of their infection status. Our data suggest that the unspecific activation status of the immune system in aged mice impairs inflammatory as well as regulatory immune responses to S. mansoni infection in the liver, where major pathological alterations and immunity are at stage. This poor immune reactivity may have a beneficial impact on disease development.
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    Antigenic dietary protein guides maturation of the host immune system promoting resistance to Leishmania major infection in C57BL/6 mice.
    (2010) Amaral, Joana Ferreira do; Santos, Ana Cristina Gomes; Silva, Josiely Paula; Nicoli, Jacques Robert; Vieira, Leda Quercia; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de; Silva, Juscilene Menezes da
    The immature immune system requires constant stimulation by foreign antigens during the early stages of life to develop properly and to create efficient immune responses against later infections. We have previously shown that intake of antigenic dietary protein is critical for inducing maturation of the immune system as well as for the development of T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity. In this study, we show that administration of an amino acid (aa)-based diet during the development of the immune system subsequently resulted in inefficient control of Leishmania major infection in adult C57BL/6 mice. Compared with mice fed a control protein-containing diet, adult aa-fed mice showed a decreased interferon (IFN)-c response to parasite antigens and insufficient production of nitric oxide (NO), which is crucial to parasite death. However, no deviation towards Th2-specific immunity to L. major was observed. Phenotypic analysis of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) from aa-fed mice revealed deficient levels of the costimulatory molecules CD40 and CD80, and low levels of interleukin (IL)-12 produced by peritoneal macrophages, revealing an early stage of maturation of these cells. APCs isolated from aa-fed mice were unable to stimulate a Th1 response in vitro. Both phenotypic features of T cells from aa-fed mice and their ability to produce a Th1 response in the presence of mature APCs were unaffected when compared with T cells from control mice. The results presented here support the notion that regulation of Th1 immunity to infection includes environmental factors such as dietary proteins, which provide a natural source of stimulation that contributes to the process of maturation of APCs.
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    Coinfection with Toxoplasma gondii inhibits antigen-specific Th2 immune responses, tissue inflamation, and parasitism in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania major.
    (1999) Santiago, Helton da Costa; Oliveira, Milton Adriano Pelli de; Bambirra, Eduardo Alves; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de; Afonso, Luís Carlos Crocco; Oliveira, Leda Quercia; Gazzinelli, Ricardo Tostes
    Lesion size, cellular infiltration, and tissue parasitism in the footpads of BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania major were all dramatically inhibited during acute but not chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Similarly, acute but not chronic toxoplasmosis at the time of infection with L. major had a strong inhibitory effect on development of acquired immune responses mediated by Th2 lymphocytes. In contrast, no m
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    Consumption of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-supplemented diet during colitis development ameliorates gut inflammation without causing steatosis in mice.
    (2018) Moreira, Thais Garcias; Santos, Ana Cristina Gomes; Horta, Laila Sampaio; Miranda, Mariana Camila Gonçalves; Santiago, Andrezza Fernanda; Gonçalves, Juliana Lauar; Reis, Daniela Silva dos; Castro Junior, Archimedes Barbosa de; Santos, Luísa Lemos dos; Guimarães, Mauro Andrade de Freitas; Aguilar, Edenil Costa; Pap, Attila; Amaral, Joana Ferreira do; Leite, Jacqueline Isaura Alvarez; Machado, Denise Carmona Cara; Rezende, Rafael Machado; Nagy, Laszlo; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de; Maioli, Tatiani Uceli
    Dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been proposed for weight management and to prevent gut inflammation. However, some animal studies suggest that supplementation with CLA leads to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The aims of this study were to test the efficiency of CLA in preventing dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, to analyze the effects of CLA in the liver function, and to access putative liver alterations upon CLA supplementation during colitis. So, C57BL/6 mice were supplemented for 3 weeks with either control diet (AIN-G) or 1% CLA-supplemented diet. CLA content in the diet and in the liver of mice fed CLA containing diet were accessed by gas chromatography. On the first day of the third week of dietary treatment, mice received ad libitum a 1.5%–2.5% DSS solution for 7 days. Disease activity index score was evaluated; colon and liver samples were stained by hematoxylin and eosin for histopathology analysis and lamina propria cells were extracted to access the profile of innate cell infiltrate. Metabolic alterations before and after colitis induction were accessed by an open calorimetric circuit. Serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and alanine aminotransaminase were measured; the content of fat in liver and feces was also accessed. CLA prevented weight loss, histopathologic and macroscopic signs of colitis, and inflammatory infiltration. Mice fed CLA-supplemented without colitis induction diet developed steatosis, which was prevented in mice with colitis probably due to the higher lipid consumption as energy during gut inflammation. This result suggests that CLA is safe for use during gut inflammation but not at steady-state conditions.
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    Effect of a protein-free diet in the development of food allergy and oral tolerance in BALB/c mice.
    (2015) Silva, Josiely Paula; Santiago, Andrezza Fernanda; Oliveira, Rafael Pires de; Rosa, Magda Luciana Paula; Carvalho, Cláudia Rocha; Amaral, Joana Ferreira do; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de
    The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a protein-free diet in the induction of food allergy and oral tolerance in BALB/c mice. The experimental model used was mice that were fed, since weaning up to adulthood, a balanced diet in which all dietary proteins were replaced by amino acid diet (Aa). The absence of dietary proteins did not prevent the development of food allergy to ovalbumin (OVA) in these mice. However, Aa-fed mice produced lower levels of IgE, secretory IgA and cytokines. In addition, when compared with mice from control group, Aa-fed mice had a milder aversive reaction to the allergen measured by consumption of OVA-containing solution and weight loss during food allergy development. In addition, mice that did not have dietary proteins in their diets were less susceptible to induction of oral tolerance. One single oral administration was not enough to suppress specific serum Ig and IgG1 levels in the Aa-fed group, although it was efficient to induce suppression in the control group. The present results indicate that the stimulation by dietary proteins alters both inflammatory reactivity and regulatory immune reactivity in mice probably due to their effect in the maturation of the immune system.
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    Immunoglobulin production is impaired in protein-deprived mice and can be restored by dietary protein supplementation.
    (2006) Amaral, Joana Ferreira do; Foschetti, Daniela Abreu; Assis, Frankcinéia Aparecida de; Vaz, Nelson Monteiro; Silva, Juscilene Menezes da; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de
    Most contacts with food protein and microbiota antigens occur at the level of the gut mucosa. In animal models where this natural stimulation is absent, such as germ-free and antigen-free mice, the gutassociated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and systemic immunological activities are underdeveloped. We have shown that food proteins play a critical role in the full development of the immune system. C57BL/ 6 mice weaned to a diet in which intact proteins are replaced by equivalent amounts of amino acids (Aa diet) have a poorly developed GALT as well as low levels of serum immunoglobulins (total Ig, IgG, and IgA, but not IgM). In the present study, we evaluated whether the introduction of a protein-containing diet in 10 adult Aa-fed C57BL/6 mice could restore their immunoglobulin levels and whether this recovery was dependent on the amount of dietary protein. After the introduction of a casein-containing diet, Aa-fed mice presented a fast recovery (after 7 days) of secretory IgA (from 0.33 to 0.75 mg/mL, while in casein-fed mice this value was 0.81 mg/mL) and serum immunoglobulin levels (from 5.39 to 10.25 mg/mL of total Ig). Five percent dietary casein was enough to promote the restoration of secretory IgA and serum immunoglobulin levels to a normal range after 30 days feeding casein diet (as in casein-fed mice - 15% by weight of diet). These data suggest that the defect detected in the immunoglobulin levels was a reversible result of the absence of food proteins as an antigenic stimulus. They also indicate that the deleterious consequences of malnutrition at an early age for some immune functions may be restored by therapeutic intervention later in life.
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    Obesity impairs resistance to Leishmania major infection in C57BL/6 mice.
    (2020) Martins, Vinicius Dantas; Campos, Franciele Carolina Silva; Moreira, Felipe Caixeta; Carneiro, Matheus Batista Heitor; Goes, Grazielle Ribeiro; Torres, Lícia; Barbosa, Sara Cândida; Vaz, Leonardo Gomes; Paiva, Nívia Carolina Nogueira de; Carneiro, Cláudia Martins; Vieira, Leda Quercia; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de; Maioli, Tatiani Uceli
    An association between increased susceptibility to infectious diseases and obesity has been described as a result of impaired immunity in obese individuals. It is not clear whether a similar linkage can be drawn between obesity and parasitic diseases. To evaluate the effect of obesity in the immune response to cutaneous Leishmania major infection, we studied the ability of C57BL/6 mice fed a hypercaloric diet (HSB) to control leishmaniasis. Mice with diet-induced obesity presented thicker lesions with higher parasite burden and a more intense inflammatory infiltrate in the infected ear after infection with L. major. There was no difference between control and obese mice in IFN-gamma or IL-4 production by auricular draining lymph node cells, but obese mice produced higher levels of IgG1 and IL-17. Peritoneal macrophages from obese mice were less efficient to kill L. major when infected in vitro than macrophages from control mice. In vitro stimulation of macrophages with IL-17 decreased their capacity to kill the parasite. Moreover, macrophages from obese mice presented higher arginase activity. To confirm the role of IL-17 in the context of obesity and infection, we studied lesion development in obese IL-17R-/- mice infected with L. major and found no difference in skin lesions and the leukocyte accumulation in the draining lymph node is redcuced in knockout mice compared between obese and lean animals. Our results indicate that diet-induced obesity impairs resistance to L. major in C57BL/6 mice and that IL-17 is involved in lesion development.
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    Recrutamento do receptor de adenosina A2B e ativação da via de AMPc- PI3K-ERK1/2 inibem a resposta de células dendríticas infectadas por Leishmania amazonensis.
    (2016) Figueiredo, Amanda Braga de; Afonso, Luís Carlos Crocco; Gonçalves, Teresa Maria Fonseca de Oliveira; Cunha, Rodrigo Pinto dos Santos Antunes da; Brandão, Rogélio Lopes; Oliveira, Milton Adriano Pelli de; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de; Antonelli, Lis Ribeiro do Valle
    A infecção por Leishmania pode resultar num amplo espectro de manifestações clínicas e a infecção por Leishmania amazonensis é associada a uma deficiência na resposta de linfócitos T específicos para o parasito. Células dendríticas direcionam a diferenciação de linfócitos Th1 que contribuem para o controle da infecção por Leishmania. Em um trabalho anterior, nós mostramos que a infecção por L. amazonensis, mas não por L. braziliensis ou L. major, prejudica a resposta de células dendríticas por um mecanismo dependente do receptor de adenosina A2B. Neste trabalho, nós avaliamos a expressão de receptores de adenosina e os eventos intracelulares ativados a partir do receptor A2B em células dendríticas infectadas, bem como o papel desses eventos na infecção de camundongos por L. amazonensis. Inicialmente, células dendríticas derivadas de células de medula óssea de camundongos C57BL/6J foram infectadas por promastigotas metacíclicas de L. amazonensis, L. braziliensis ou L. major. Imagens obtidas por microscopia de fluorescência mostraram que a infecção por promastigotas metacíclicas de L. amazonensis estimula a redistribuição do receptor A2B para a superfície de células dendríticas infectadas, sem alterar a quantidade total do receptor, avaliada por western blotting, nem a expressão dos receptores de adenosina A1, A2A e A3. A infecção por L. braziliensis, L. major ou promastigotas procíclicas de L. amazonensis não alteram a expressão do receptor A2B em células infectadas. Nossos resultados mostraram, ainda, que a infecção por L. amazonensis estimula a produção de AMPc e a fosforilação de ERK1/2 por mecanismos dependentes do receptor A2B. Além disso, L. amazonensis prejudica a expressão de CD40 e a produção de IL-12p70 por células dendríticas, efeitos independentes de IL-10 e revertidos pela inibição de adenilato ciclase, de PI3K e da fosforilação de ERK1/2. Por fim, camundongos infectados na orelha por L. amazonensis na presença de inibidores do receptor A2B ou das proteínas PI3K ou ERK1/2 desenvolvem lesões menores se comparados a animais controles, mas apenas o bloqueio do receptor A2B é capaz de diminuir o parasitismo tecidual. Concluindo, nós propomos um novo mecanismo utilizado por L. amazonensis (redistribuição do receptor A2B AMPc PI3K ERK1/2) para inibir a ativação de células dendríticas, que parece ser importante para a deficiência na resposta imune observada na infecção por essa espécie de parasito.
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    Splenectomy does not interfere with immune response to Leishmania major infection in mice.
    (2007) Maioli, Tatiani Uceli; Carneiro, Cláudia Martins; Assis, Frankcinéia Aparecida de; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de
    Spleen is one of the largest lymphoid organs in the body; it harbors immune cells including antigen presenting cells, B and T lymphocytes. It has an important role in humoral and cellular immune responses. Herein we investigated the role of spleen in the immune response to experimental Leishmania major infection. It is known that C57BL/6 mice are resistant to L. major infection whereas BALB/c mice are susceptible. Although splenectomy was associated with reduced serum levels of IFN-gamma, absence of the spleen did not change the profile of L. major infection in the resistant C57BL/6 and BALB/c susceptible mice. Both strains of mice maintained the same profile of cytokine production in regional lymph nodes after splenectomy and responded in the same way against the infection. Only splenectomized BALB/c mice had a reduction in IL-4 and IL-10 production by lymph node cells early in infection. Our data suggest that, in localized infections, regional lymph nodes may replace efficiently the immunological role of spleen in the cellular and humoral immune responses.
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    Splenectomy increases mortality in murine Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
    (2011) Maioli, Tatiani Uceli; Assis, Frankcinéia Aparecida de; Vieira, Paula Melo de Abreu; Borelli, Primavera; Santiago, Helton da Costa; Alves, Ricardo José; Romanha, Alvaro José; Carneiro, Cláudia Martins; Faria, Ana Maria Caetano de
    The spleen is a secondary lymphoid organ that harbours a variety of cells such as T and B lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells important to immune response development. In this study, we evaluated the impact of spleen removal in the immune response to experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection. C57BL/6 mice were infected with Y strain of the parasite and infection was followed daily. Mice that underwent splenectomy had fewer parasites in peripheral blood at the peak of infection; however, mortality was increased. Histological analysis of heart and liver tissues revealed an increased number of parasites and inflammatory infiltrates at these sites. Spleen removal was associated with reduction in IFN-γ and TNF-α production during infection as well as with a decrease in specific antibody secretion. Haematological disorders were also detected. Splenectomized mice exhibited severe anaemia and decreased bone marrow cell numbers. Our results indicate that spleen integrity is critical in T. cruzi infection for the immune response against the parasite, as well as for the control of bone marrow haematological function.