Effect of the host specific treatment in the phagocytosis of Trypanosoma cruzi blood forms by mouse peritoneal macrophages

Single doses of drugs active against Trypanosoma cruzi (megazol, nifurtimox and benznidazole) induce a rapid clearance of the blood parasites in experimentally infected mice. Furthermore, the in vitro phagocytosis and intracellular destruction by mouse peritoneal macrophage of blood forms collected from the treated animals is strongly enhanced as compared with parasites from untreated controls. The uptake of the blood forms by macrophages is significantly higher with megazol than with benznidazole and nifurtimox, a finding that concurs with data showing that megazol is also the most active compound in the living host. The possibility that macrophages participate in a synergic effect between the host immune response and chemotherapeutic effect is discussed.