Apoptotic-like activity of staurosporine in axenic cultures of Trypanosoma evansi

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo

Gustavo Bruges²  Meyerling Betancourt²  Mariana March¹  Evangelina Sanchez²  Alfredo Mijares² 

[1] ,Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica Laboratorio de Fisiología de ParásitosCaracas,Venezuela

关键词: Trypanosoma evansi;    Axenic culture;    Staurosporine;    Apoptosis;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0036-46652012000200008

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Trypanosoma evansi is a blood protozoan parasite of the genus Trypanosoma which is responsible for surra (Trypanosomosis) in domestic and wild animals. This study addressed apoptotic-like features in Trypanosoma evansi in vitro. The mechanism of parasite death was investigated using staurosporine as an inducing agent. We evaluated its effects through several cytoplasmic features of apoptosis, including cell shrinkage, phosphatidylserine exposure, maintenance of plasma membrane integrity, and mitochondrial trans-membrane potential. For access to these features we have used the flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy with cultures in the stationary phase and adjusted to a density of 10(6) cells/mL. The apoptotic effect of staurosporine in T. evansi was evaluated at 20 nM final concentration. There was an increase of phosphatidylserine exposure, whereas mitochondrial potential was decreased. Moreover, no evidence of cell permeability increasing with staurosporine was observed in this study, suggesting the absence of a necrotic process. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the possible pathways associated with this form of cell death in this hemoparasite.

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