<b>Action of Canova^® medicine onto peritoneal resident macrophages infected with Trypanosoma cruzi</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v30i1.354

Abstract

Approximately 20 million of people are chronically infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in Latin America. The present work investigated the action of the homeopathic medicine Canova^® in in vitro experimental infections with T.cruzi, type Y, using Swiss mice peritoneal resident macrophages. Our results demonstrated that Canova^® induced a decrease in the production of H₂O₂ and TNF-α at 20% and 40% concentrations when compared to the control RPMI. However, when compared with this medicine excipient, there was a significant decrease of these nediators at 40% concentration only. The production of NO and the phagocytic activity were not affected. TNF-α inhibits the T.cruzi replication in peritoneal macrophages in vitro, becoming an important agent of infection control by this parasite. Within this context, Canova^®, unlike what has been reported to other infections, would function as a stimulator of the infection, since it inhibited the production of TNF-α by peritoneal resident macrophages in vitro. Further studies should be carried out with elicited macrophages, in order to confirm the Canova^® inhibitory activity on the production of TNF-α and other mediators in macrophages infected by T.cruzi