Francisco, Amanda FortesVieira, Paula Melo de AbreuArantes, Jerusa MarildaPedrosa, Maria LúciaMartins, Helen RodriguesSilva, MaísaVeloso, Vanja MariaLana, Marta deBahia, Maria TerezinhaTafuri, Washington LuizCarneiro, Cláudia Martins2012-09-192012-09-192008FRANCISCO, A. M. et al. Trypanosoma cruzi : effect of benznidazole therapy combined with the iron chelator desferrioxamine in infected mice. Experimental Parasitology, v. 120, n. 4, p. 314-319, dez. 2008. Disponível em: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014489408001975>. Acesso em: 19 ago. 2012.00144894http://www.repositorio.ufop.br/handle/123456789/1403Iron chelators have been employed in various studies aimed at evaluating the relationship between the iron status of the host and the development of infection. In the present study, the effects of benznidazole (BZ) therapy in combination with the iron chelator desferrioxamine (DFO) on the development of infection in mice inoculated with Trypanosoma cruzi Y strain have been investigated. Infected mice treated with DFO presented lower levels of parasitemia compared with infected untreated animals. Therapy with BZ for 21 days, with or without DFO, led to decreased parasitemia and reduced mortality, but BZ in combination with DFO treatment for 35 days (BZ/DFO-35) gave 0% mortality. All infected groups presented lower levels of iron in the liver, but serum iron concentrations were greater in DFO-35 and BZ/DFO-35, whereas hemoglobin levels were higher in BZ/DFO-35 and lower in DFO-35 compared with other treated groups. The percentage cure, determined from negative hemoculture and PCR results in animals that had survived for 60 days post-infection, was 18% for BZ and BZ/DFO-35, 42% for BZ combined with DFO for 21 days, and 67% for DFO-35. The results demonstrate that modification in iron stores increases BZ efficacy.en-USTrypanosoma cruziChagas' diseaseReactive oxygen speciesAnalysis of varianceDeoxyribonucleic acidArtigo publicado em periodicoO periódico Experimental Parasitology concede permissão para depósito deste artigo no Repositório Institucional da UFOP. Número da licença: 3281990828453.