Trypanosoma cruzi –Infected Cardiomyocytes Produce Chemokines and Cytokines That Trigger Potent Nitric Oxide–Dependent Trypanocidal Activity

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Abstract
Background—The pathogenesis of myocarditis that occurs in Trypanosoma cruzi–infected mice is still poorly understood. Therefore, it is important to know the mediators that trigger leukocyte migration to the heart as well as the cellular source of these possible mediators. In this study, we investigated (1) NO synthase (NOS) induction, (2) NO synthesis, (3) trypanocidal activity, and (4) chemokine and cytokine mRNA expression by isolated cardiomyocytes infected with T cruzi. Methods and Results—Mouse cardiomyocytes were isolated, infected with T cruzi, and evaluated for induction of inducible NOS (iNOS), nitrite production, trypanocidal activity, and cytokine and chemokine mRNA expression. We found that T cruzi–infected murine embryonic cardiomyocytes produced nitrite and expressed mRNAs for the chemokines chemokine growth-related oncogene, monokine induced by interferon-γ, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, interferon-γ–inducible protein, RANTES, and monocyte chemotactic protein, for iNOS, and for the cyt...