These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Caspase-8 and caspase-9 mediate thymocyte apoptosis in Trypanosoma cruzi acutely infected mice.
    Author: Farias-de-Oliveira DA, Villa-Verde DM, Nunes Panzenhagen PH, Silva dos Santos D, Berbert LR, Savino W, de Meis J.
    Journal: J Leukoc Biol; 2013 Feb; 93(2):227-34. PubMed ID: 23159925.
    Abstract:
    Trypanosoma cruzi acute infection leads to thymic atrophy, largely as a result of death of immature DP T cells. In a second vein, the glucocorticoid hormone imbalance promotes DP T cell apoptosis in infected mice. Herein, we assessed the involvement of caspase signaling in thymocyte death during T. cruzi acute infection. BALB/c mice were infected i.p. with 10(2) trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi and analyzed from 7 to 19 dpi. Thymocyte apoptosis was observed in early stages of infection, increasing along with time postinfection. Immature DN and DP as well as CD4(+) and CD8(+) thymocytes from infected mice showed increased activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3. In vitro treatment of thymocytes from infected mice with a general caspase inhibitor or the combination of caspase-8- and caspase-9-specific inhibitors increased the number of living thymocytes. Intrathymic injection of the general caspase inhibitor, but not caspase-8 or -9 inhibitors individually, prevented thymic atrophy and thymocyte depletion in infected mice. Moreover, blockade of glucocorticoid receptor activity with RU486 prevented DP thymocyte apoptosis, together with caspase-8 and -9 activation. These findings indicate that DP T cell apoptosis following experimental T. cruzi acute infection is dependent on glucocorticoid stimulation, promoting caspase-8 and -9 activation.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]