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Castillo C, Díaz-Luján C, Liempi A, Fretes R, Kemmerling U. Mammalian placental explants: A tool for studying host-parasite interactions and placental biology. Placenta 2024:S0143-4004(24)00291-1. [PMID: 38910051 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2024.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The placenta plays a critical role in host-pathogen interactions. Thus, ex vivo infection of mammalian placental explants is an excellent and simple method to study the mechanisms of cellular and tissue invasion by different pathogens in different mammalian species. These explants can be maintained in culture for several days, preserving the tissue architecture and resembling in-utero conditions under more physiological conditions than their isolated counterparts in isolated cell culture models. In addition, placental explants not only allow us to study how the placenta responds and defends itself against various infections but also provide a versatile platform for advancing our understanding of placental biology and the immune response. Furthermore, they serve as powerful tools for drug discovery, facilitating the screening of potential therapeutics for placental infections and for the identification of diagnostic markers. This review highlights the utility of mammalian placental explants in studying the host-pathogen interaction of two relevant protozoan parasites, Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, and Toxoplasma gondii, the etiological agent of Toxoplasmosis. Here, we discuss the different methodologies and technical aspects of the model, as well as the effect of both parasites on placental responses in human, canine, and ovine explants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Castillo
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Cintia Díaz-Luján
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, INICSA (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana Liempi
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Fretes
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, INICSA (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ulrike Kemmerling
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Ex Vivo Infection of Human Placental Explants by Trypanosoma cruzi Reveals a microRNA Profile Similar to That Seen in Trophoblast Differentiation. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11030361. [PMID: 35335686 PMCID: PMC8952303 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11030361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is responsible for 22.5% of new cases each year. However, placental transmission occurs in only 5% of infected mothers and it has been proposed that the epithelial turnover of the trophoblast can be considered a local placental defense against the parasite. Thus, Trypanosoma cruzi induces cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptotic cell death in the trophoblast, which are regulated, among other mechanisms, by small non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs. On the other hand, ex vivo infection of human placental explants induces a specific microRNA profile that includes microRNAs related to trophoblast differentiation such as miR-512-3p miR-515-5p, codified at the chromosome 19 microRNA cluster. Here we determined the expression validated target genes of miR-512-3p and miR-515-5p, specifically human glial cells missing 1 transcription factor and cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein, as well as the expression of the main trophoblast differentiation marker human chorionic gonadotrophin during ex vivo infection of human placental explants, and examined how the inhibition or overexpression of both microRNAs affects parasite infection. We conclude that Trypanosoma cruzi-induced trophoblast epithelial turnover, particularly trophoblast differentiation, is at least partially mediated by placenta-specific miR-512-3p and miR-515-5p and that both miRNAs mediate placental susceptibility to ex vivo infection of human placental explants. Knowledge about the role of parasite-modulated microRNAs in the placenta might enable their use as biomarkers, as prognostic and therapeutic tools for congenital Chagas disease in the future.
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Barbosa CG, Gómez-Hernández C, da Silva MV, Rezende-Oliveira K, Ferreira PTM, de Oliveira ACM, Desidério CS, Helmo FR, de Carvalho-Costa TM, Dos Santos IKP, Saraiva LKA, de Oliveira CJF, Machado JR, Ferro EAV, Rodrigues V, Ramirez LE. Congenital transmission of Mexican strains of Trypanosoma cruzi TcIa: interaction between parasite and human placental explants. Parasitology 2022; 149:418-426. [PMID: 34814960 PMCID: PMC11010536 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021002018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Congenital transmission of Chagas disease plays an important role in endemic countries because it is not a diagnosis that is encountered frequently in prenatal care. Due to limited information regarding congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Mexico, the present study aimed to investigate protozoan infectivity and modulation of immune responses in human placental explants infected with T. cruzi Ia Mexican strains. The Inc-5 strain showed increased infectivity and modulated IL-1β, IL-10 and TLR-4, decreasing their expression after 24 h of infection. Both strains (Inc-5 and Ninoa) stimulated the production of TNF-α and decreased IL-6 levels 96 h after infection. An important detachment of the syncytiotrophoblast caused by infection with T. cruzi was observed after 24 h of infection. In this study, ex vivo infection of human placental villi was performed to better understand interactions involving parasitic T. cruzi and human placental tissue. It was concluded that the strains of TcIa present parasitism in placental tissue, modulation of the innate immune system of the placenta, and cause intense detachment of the syncytiotrophoblast, a fact that may be more associated with abortion and premature birth events than the congenital transmission itself, justifying the low rate of this transmission mechanism by this genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Gomes Barbosa
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - César Gómez-Hernández
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinícius da Silva
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Karine Rezende-Oliveira
- Laboratory of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia – Pontal Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Ituiutaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Paula Tatiana Mutão Ferreira
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Morais de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Chamberttan Souza Desidério
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Rodrigues Helmo
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Tamires Marielem de Carvalho-Costa
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Ingrid Ketlen Pereira Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Lorena Kelly Alves Saraiva
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlo José Freire de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Juliana Reis Machado
- Department of General Pathology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Eloisa Amália Vieira Ferro
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Science, Federal University of Uberlândia, Campus Santa Mônica, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Virmondes Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Luís Eduardo Ramirez
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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Nájera CA, Batista MF, Meneghelli I, Bahia D. Mixed signals - how Trypanosoma cruzi exploits host-cell communication and signaling to establish infection. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:134/5/jcs255687. [PMID: 33692153 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.255687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is a 'neglected' pathology that affects millions of people worldwide, mainly in Latin America. Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent, is an obligate intracellular parasite with a complex and diverse biology that infects several mammalian species, including humans. Because of genetic variability among strains and the presence of four biochemically and morphologically distinct parasite forms, the outcome of T. cruzi infection varies considerably depending on host cell type and parasite strain. During the initial contact, cellular communication is established by host-recognition-mediated responses, followed by parasite adherence and penetration. For this purpose, T. cruzi expresses a variety of proteins that modify the host cell, enabling it to safely reach the cytoplasm. After entry into the host cell, T. cruzi forms a transitory structure termed 'parasitophorous vacuole' (PV), followed by its cytoplasmic replication and differentiation after PV rupture, and subsequent invasion of other cells. The success of infection, maintenance and survival inside host cells is facilitated by the ability of T. cruzi to subvert various host signaling mechanisms. We focus in this Review on the various mechanisms that induce host cytoskeletal rearrangements, activation of autophagy-related proteins and crosstalk among major immune response regulators, as well as recent studies on the JAK-STAT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Acides Nájera
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
| | - Marina Ferreira Batista
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
| | - Isabela Meneghelli
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
| | - Diana Bahia
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
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Kemmerling U, Osuna A, Schijman AG, Truyens C. Congenital Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi: A Review About the Interactions Between the Parasite, the Placenta, the Maternal and the Fetal/Neonatal Immune Responses. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1854. [PMID: 31474955 PMCID: PMC6702454 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is considered a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. Congenital transmission of CD is an increasingly relevant public health problem. It progressively becomes the main transmission route over others and can occur in both endemic and non-endemic countries. Though most congenitally infected newborns are asymptomatic at birth, they display higher frequencies of prematurity, low birth weight, and lower Apgar scores compared to uninfected ones, and some suffer from severe symptoms. If not diagnosed and treated, infected newborns are at risk of developing disabling and life-threatening chronic pathologies later in life. The success or failure of congenital transmission depends on interactions between the parasite, the placenta, the mother, and the fetus. We review and discuss here the current knowledge about these parameters, including parasite virulence factors such as exovesicles, placental tropism, potential placental defense mechanisms, the placental transcriptome of infected women, gene polymorphism, and the maternal and fetal/neonatal immune responses, that might modulate the risk of T. cruzi congenital transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonio Osuna
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular, Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Alejandro Gabriel Schijman
- Molecular Biology of Chagas Disease Laboratory, Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology Research Institute Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carine Truyens
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Medina L, Castillo C, Liempi A, Herbach M, Cabrera G, Valenzuela L, Galanti N, de Los Angeles Curto M, Schijman AG, Kemmerling U. Differential infectivity of two Trypanosoma cruzi strains in placental cells and tissue. Acta Trop 2018; 186:35-40. [PMID: 30018029 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Congenital Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), has become epidemiologically relevant. The probability of congenital transmission depends on the maternal and developing fetal/newborn immune responses, placental factors and importantly, the virulence of the parasite. It has been proposed, that different genotypes of T. cruzi and their associated pathogenicity, virulence and tissue tropism may play an important role in congenital infection. Since there is no laboratory or animal model that recapitulates the complexities of vertical transmission in humans, here we studied parasite infectivity in human placental explants (HPE) as well as in the human trophoblast-derived cell line BeWo of the Y(DTU II) and the VD (TcVI) T. cruzi strains; the latter was isolated from a human case of congenital infection. Our results show that the VD strain is more infective and pathogenic than the Y strain, as demonstrated by qPCR and cell counting as well as by histopathological analysis. The present study constitutes the first approach to study the relationship between parasite two parasite strains from different genotypes and the infection efficiency in human placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisvaneth Medina
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Christian Castillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Ana Liempi
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Mathias Herbach
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Cabrera
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Lucía Valenzuela
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Norbel Galanti
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - María de Los Angeles Curto
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor Torres", Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandro G Schijman
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor Torres", Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ulrike Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
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Host-parasite interaction: changes in human placental gene expression induced by Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:479. [PMID: 30143027 PMCID: PMC6109360 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2988-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite endemic to Latin America. Most infections occur in children by vector or congenital transmission. Trypanosoma cruzi establishes a complexity of specific molecular parasite-host cell interactions to invade the host. However, most studies have been mainly focused on the interaction between the parasite and different cell types, but not on the infection and invasion on a tissue level. During congenital transmission, T. cruzi must cross the placental barrier, composed of epithelial and connective tissues, in order to infect the developing fetus. Here we aimed to study the global changes of transcriptome in the placental tissue after a T. cruzi challenge. Results Strong changes in gene expression profiling were found in the different experimental conditions, involving the reprogramming of gene expression in genes involved in the innate immune response. Conclusions Trypanosoma cruzi induces strong changes in genes involved in a wide range of pathways, especially those involved in immune response against infections. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2988-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Castillo C, Muñoz L, Carrillo I, Liempi A, Medina L, Galanti N, Maya JD, Kemmerling U. Toll-like receptor-2 mediates local innate immune response against Trypanosoma cruzi in ex vivo infected human placental chorionic villi explants. Placenta 2017; 60:40-46. [PMID: 29208238 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that must cross the placental barrier during transmission. The trophoblast constitutes the first tissue in contact with the maternal-blood circulating parasite. Importantly, the congenital transmission rates are low, suggesting the presence of local placental defense mechanisms. On the other hand, the placenta is considered an immune regulatory organ since it acts as a modulator of fetal and maternal immune responses. We have previously proposed that local placental factors, such as the epithelial turnover of the trophoblast and the innate immune response initiated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs), might prevent parasite infection and congenital transmission. Here, we studied in an ex vivo infected human placental chorionic villi explant HPCVE model, the relationship between TLR-2 activation in response to T. cruzi trypomastigotes, the secreted profile of cytokines, the integrity of the placental barrier and the expression of trophoblast turnover markers. RESULTS TLR-2 inhibition increases the parasite induced histopathological damage, prevents secretion of IL-6 and IL-10, decreases expression of PCNA (proliferation marker) and of β-hCG (differentiation marker) while increasing caspase 3 activity (cell death marker). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that TLR-2 is not only involved in the local secretion of cytokines but also regulates, at least partially, the trophoblast turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Castillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lorena Muñoz
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ileana Carrillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana Liempi
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lisvaneth Medina
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Norbel Galanti
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Diego Maya
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ulrike Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Droguett D, Carrillo I, Castillo C, Gómez F, Negrete M, Liempi A, Muñoz L, Galanti N, Maya JD, Kemmerling U. Trypanosoma cruzi induces cellular proliferation in the trophoblastic cell line BeWo. Exp Parasitol 2016; 173:9-17. [PMID: 27939813 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) is partially responsible for the progressive globalization of Chagas disease. During congenital transmission the parasite must cross the placental barrier where the trophoblast, a continuous renewing epithelium, is the first tissue in contact with the parasite. The trophoblast turnover implies cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptotic cell death. The epithelial turnover is considered part of innate immunity. We previously demonstrated that T. cruzi induces cellular differentiation and apoptosis in this tissue. Here we demonstrate that T. cruzi induces cellular proliferation in a trophoblastic cell line. We analyzed the cellular proliferation in BeWo cells by determining DNA synthesis by BrdU incorporation assays, mitotic index, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry, as well as quantification of nucleolus organizer regions by histochemistry and expression of the proliferation markers PCNA and Ki67 by Western blotting and/or immunofluorescence. Additionally, we determined the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway activation by the parasite by Western blotting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Droguett
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile; Departamento de Estomatología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Chile
| | - Ileana Carrillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Christian Castillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Fresia Gómez
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Miguel Negrete
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Ana Liempi
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Lorena Muñoz
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Norbel Galanti
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Juan Diego Maya
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Ulrike Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
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Díaz-Luján C, Triquell MF, Castillo C, Hardisson D, Kemmerling U, Fretes RE. Role of placental barrier integrity in infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. Acta Trop 2016; 164:360-368. [PMID: 27686961 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
American trypanosomiasis has long been a neglected disease endemic in LatinAmerica, but congenital transmission has now spread Chagas disease to cause a global health problem. As the early stages of the infection of placental tissue and the vertical transmission by Trypanosoma cruzi are still not well understood, it is important to investigate the relevance of the first structure of the placental barrier in chorionic villi infection by T. cruzi during the initial stage of the infection. Explants of human chorionic villi from healthy pregnant women at term were denuded of their syncytiotrophoblast and co-cultured for 3h, 24h and 96h with 800,000 trypomastigotes (simulating acute infection). T. cruzi infected cells were identified by immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin-7 (+cytotrophoblast) and CD68 (+macrophages), and the infection was quantified. In placental tissue, the parasite load was analyzed by qPCR and microscopy, and the motile trypomastigotes were quantified in culture supernatant. In denuded chorionic villous, the total area occupied by the parasite (451.23μm2, 1.33%) and parasite load (RQ: 87) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than in the entire villous (control) (5.98μm2, 0.016%) (RQ:1) and with smaller concentration of nitric oxide. Stromal non-macrophage cells were infected as well as cytotrophoblasts and some macrophages, but with significant differences being observed. The parasite quantity in the culture supernatant was significantly higher (p<0.05) in denuded culture explants from 96h of culture. Although the human complete chorionic villi limited the infection, the detachment of the first structure of the placenta barrier (syncytiotrophoblast) increased both the infection of the villous stroma and the living trypomastigotes in the culture supernatant. Therefore structural and functional alterations to chorionic villi placental barrier reduce placental defenses and may contribute to the vertical transmission of Chagas.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Díaz-Luján
- Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology Department, Facultad Cs. Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba-INICSA (CONICET), Argentina; Histology and Cytology, Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - M F Triquell
- Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology Department, Facultad Cs. Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba-INICSA (CONICET), Argentina
| | - C Castillo
- Programa de Anatomía del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - D Hardisson
- Hospital La Paz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
| | - U Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - R E Fretes
- Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology Department, Facultad Cs. Médicas. Instituto de Biología Celular, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba-INICSA (CONICET), Argentina; Histology, Embryology and Genetic-IICSHUM, Health Department, Universidad Nacional de La Rioja, Argentina; Histology and Cytology, Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina.
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12
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Balouz V, Agüero F, Buscaglia CA. Chagas Disease Diagnostic Applications: Present Knowledge and Future Steps. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2016; 97:1-45. [PMID: 28325368 PMCID: PMC5363286 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a lifelong and debilitating illness of major significance throughout Latin America and an emergent threat to global public health. Being a neglected disease, the vast majority of Chagasic patients have limited access to proper diagnosis and treatment, and there is only a marginal investment into R&D for drug and vaccine development. In this context, identification of novel biomarkers able to transcend the current limits of diagnostic methods surfaces as a main priority in Chagas disease applied research. The expectation is that these novel biomarkers will provide reliable, reproducible and accurate results irrespective of the genetic background, infecting parasite strain, stage of disease, and clinical-associated features of Chagasic populations. In addition, they should be able to address other still unmet diagnostic needs, including early detection of congenital T. cruzi transmission, rapid assessment of treatment efficiency or failure, indication/prediction of disease progression and direct parasite typification in clinical samples. The lack of access of poor and neglected populations to essential diagnostics also stresses the necessity of developing new methods operational in point-of-care settings. In summary, emergent diagnostic tests integrating these novel and tailored tools should provide a significant impact on the effectiveness of current intervention schemes and on the clinical management of Chagasic patients. In this chapter, we discuss the present knowledge and possible future steps in Chagas disease diagnostic applications, as well as the opportunity provided by recent advances in high-throughput methods for biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Balouz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas - Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, B 1650 HMP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernán Agüero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas - Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, B 1650 HMP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos A. Buscaglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas - Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, B 1650 HMP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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13
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Liempi A, Castillo C, Carrillo I, Muñoz L, Droguett D, Galanti N, Maya JD, Kemmerling U. A local innate immune response against Trypanosoma cruzi in the human placenta: The epithelial turnover of the trophoblast. Microb Pathog 2016; 99:123-129. [PMID: 27554274 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2016.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Congenital Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is partially responsible for the progressive globalization of Chagas disease despite of its low transmission rate. The probability of congenital transmission depends on complex interactions between the parasite, the maternal and fetus/newborn immune responses and placental factors, being the latter the least studied one. During transplacental transmission, the parasite must cross the placental barrier where the trophoblast, a continuous renewing epithelium, is the first tissue to have contact with the parasite. Importantly, the epithelial turnover is considered part of the innate immune system since pathogens, prior to cell invasion, must attach to the surface of cells. The trophoblast turnover involves cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation and apoptotic cell death, all of them are induced by the parasite. In the present review, we analyze the current evidence about the trophoblast epithelial turnover as a local placental innate immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Liempi
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Christian Castillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Ileana Carrillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Lorena Muñoz
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Daniel Droguett
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile; Departamento de Estomatología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Chile
| | - Norbel Galanti
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Juan Diego Maya
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Ulrike Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile.
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14
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Watanabe Costa R, da Silveira JF, Bahia D. Interactions between Trypanosoma cruzi Secreted Proteins and Host Cell Signaling Pathways. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:388. [PMID: 27065960 PMCID: PMC4814445 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is one of the prevalent neglected tropical diseases, affecting at least 6-7 million individuals in Latin America. It is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to vertebrate hosts by blood-sucking insects. After infection, the parasite invades and multiplies in the myocardium, leading to acute myocarditis that kills around 5% of untreated individuals. T. cruzi secretes proteins that manipulate multiple host cell signaling pathways to promote host cell invasion. The primary secreted lysosomal peptidase in T. cruzi is cruzipain, which has been shown to modulate the host immune response. Cruzipain hinders macrophage activation during the early stages of infection by interrupting the NF-kB P65 mediated signaling pathway. This allows the parasite to survive and replicate, and may contribute to the spread of infection in acute Chagas disease. Another secreted protein P21, which is expressed in all of the developmental stages of T. cruzi, has been shown to modulate host phagocytosis signaling pathways. The parasite also secretes soluble factors that exert effects on host extracellular matrix, such as proteolytic degradation of collagens. Finally, secreted phospholipase A from T. cruzi contributes to lipid modifications on host cells and concomitantly activates the PKC signaling pathway. Here, we present a brief review of the interaction between secreted proteins from T. cruzi and the host cells, emphasizing the manipulation of host signaling pathways during invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Watanabe Costa
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose F da Silveira
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diana Bahia
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisMinas Gerais, Brazil
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15
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Soares-Silva M, Diniz FF, Gomes GN, Bahia D. The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Pathway: Role in Immune Evasion by Trypanosomatids. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:183. [PMID: 26941717 PMCID: PMC4764696 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi are the causative agents of leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, respectively, two neglected tropical diseases that affect about 25 million people worldwide. These parasites belong to the family Trypanosomatidae, and are both obligate intracellular parasites that manipulate host signaling pathways and the innate immune system to establish infection. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are serine and threonine protein kinases that are highly conserved in eukaryotes, and are involved in signal transduction pathways that modulate physiological and pathophysiological cell responses. This mini-review highlights existing knowledge concerning the mechanisms that Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi have evolved to target the host’s MAPK signaling pathways and highjack the immune response, and, in this manner, promote parasite maintenance in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Soares-Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Flavia F Diniz
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gabriela N Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Diana Bahia
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisMinas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
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16
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Soares-Silva M, Diniz FF, Gomes GN, Bahia D. The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Pathway: Role in Immune Evasion by Trypanosomatids. Front Microbiol 2016. [PMID: 26941717 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00183/abstract] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi are the causative agents of leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, respectively, two neglected tropical diseases that affect about 25 million people worldwide. These parasites belong to the family Trypanosomatidae, and are both obligate intracellular parasites that manipulate host signaling pathways and the innate immune system to establish infection. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are serine and threonine protein kinases that are highly conserved in eukaryotes, and are involved in signal transduction pathways that modulate physiological and pathophysiological cell responses. This mini-review highlights existing knowledge concerning the mechanisms that Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi have evolved to target the host's MAPK signaling pathways and highjack the immune response, and, in this manner, promote parasite maintenance in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Soares-Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Flavia F Diniz
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gabriela N Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Diana Bahia
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisMinas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
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17
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Carlier Y, Sosa-Estani S, Luquetti AO, Buekens P. Congenital Chagas disease: an update. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2015; 110:363-8. [PMID: 25760448 PMCID: PMC4489473 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760140405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is a global problem, occurring on average
in 5% of children born from chronically infected mothers in endemic areas, with
variations depending on the region. This presentation aims to focus on and update
epidemiological data, research methods, involved factors, control strategy and
possible prevention of congenital infection with T. cruzi. Considering that
etiological treatment of the child is always effective if performed before one year
of age, the diagnosis of infection in pregnant women and their newborns has to become
the standard of care and integrated into the surveillance programs of syphilis and
human immunodeficiency virus. In addition to the standard tests, polymerase chain
reaction performed on blood of neonates of infected mothers one month after birth
might improve the diagnosis of congenital infection. Recent data bring out that its
transmission can be prevented through treatment of infected women before they become
pregnant. The role of parasite genotypes and host genetic factors in parasite
transmission and development of infection in foetuses/neonates has to be more
investigated in order to better estimate the risk factors and impact on health of
congenital infection with T. cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Carlier
- Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - Sergio Sosa-Estani
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr Mario Fatala Chaben, Ministry of Health, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Pierre Buekens
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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18
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Liempi A, Castillo C, Duaso J, Droguett D, Sandoval A, Barahona K, Hernández A, Galanti N, Maya JD, Kemmerling U. Trypanosoma cruzi induces trophoblast differentiation: a potential local antiparasitic mechanism of the human placenta? Placenta 2014; 35:1035-42. [PMID: 25315217 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) is responsible for one-third of new Chagas disease cases each year. During congenital transmission, the parasite breaks down the placental barrier formed by the trophoblast, basal laminae and villous stroma. The observation that only 5% of infected mothers transmit the parasite to the fetus implies that the placenta may impair parasite transmission. The trophoblast undergoes continuous epithelial turnover, which is considered part of innate immunity. Therefore, we propose that T. cruzi induces differentiation in the trophoblast as part of a local antiparasitic mechanism of the placenta. METHODS We analyzed β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and syncytin protein expression in HPCVE and BeWo cells using immunofluorescence and western blotting. Additionally, β-hCG secretion into the culture medium was measured by ELISA. We assessed the differentiation of trophoblastic cells in BeWo cells using the two-color fusion assay and by determining desmoplakin re-distribution. RESULTS T. cruzi trypomastigotes induce β-hCG secretion and protein expression as well as syncytin protein expression in HPCVE and BeWo cells. Additionally, the parasite induces the trophoblast fusion of BeWo cells. DISCUSSION T. cruzi induces differentiation of the trophoblast, which may contribute to increase the trophoblast turnover. The turnover could be a component of local antiparasitic mechanisms in the human placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Liempi
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - C Castillo
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - J Duaso
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - D Droguett
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Estomatología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Chile
| | - A Sandoval
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - K Barahona
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - A Hernández
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - N Galanti
- Programa de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - J D Maya
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - U Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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