Abstract
Creatine kinase (CK total and CK-MB) were studied as markers of lesion progression induced by Trypanosoma cruzi infection. After 3 weeks mice infected with 104 parasites showed an increase in both enzyme levels and in their frequency distribution. A trend to increase was already detected in the 2nd week. A short duration per os treatment with benznidazole (Bz) prevented the occurrence of tissue lesions, since no changes were observed in enzymes. However, in the 4th week, about 40% of Bz-treated mice showed an increase in CK-MB, as did those that survived until the 8th week. Long-term treatment with Bz in drinking water of mice infected with 102 parasites showed, after 32 weeks, a partial reversion of the occurrence of high CK-MB levels from 85.7% to 50%. We found a positive correlation between inflammatory infiltrates and CK-MB levels, indicating that this marker could be useful to monitor the occurrence of experimental chagasic myocarditis.
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Received: 15 February 2000 / Accepted: 12 May 2000
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de Souza, A., Olivieri, B., de Castro, S. et al. Enzymatic markers of heart lesion in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and submitted to benznidazole chemotherapy. Parasitol Res 86, 800–808 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360000262
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360000262