Key result
Simvastatin and benznidazole prevented endothelial activation induced by T. cruzi infection by decreasing the NF-κB pathway, with simvastatin's effect mediated by 15-epi-lipoxin A4 production.
Why the study?
Does simvastatin or benznidazole prevent endothelial activation in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected human endothelial cells?
Does simvastatin or benznidazole prevent endothelial activation in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected human endothelial cells?
p-value: p=<0.001
Simvastatin and benznidazole prevent T. cruzi-induced endothelial activation in vitro, providing a mechanistic basis for potentially using simvastatin as an adjunctive therapy in Chagas cardiomyopathy.
May suggest adjunctive statin role in Chagas; hypothesis-generating and requires clinical validation before practice change.
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causal agent of Chagas Disease that is endemic in Latin American, afflicting more than ten million people approximately. This disease has two phases, acute and chronic. The acute phase is often asymptomatic, but with time it progresses to the chronic phase, affecting the heart and gastrointestinal tract and can be lethal. Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy involves an inflammatory vasculopathy. Endothelial activation during Chagas disease entails the expression of cell adhesion molecules such as E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) through a mechanism involving NF-κB activation. Currently, specific trypanocidal therapy remains on benznidazole, although new triazole derivatives are promising. A novel strategy is proposed that aims at some pathophysiological processes to facilitate current antiparasitic therapy, decreasing treatment length or doses and slowing disease progress. Simvastatin has anti-inflammatory actions, including improvement of endothelial function, by inducing a novel pro-resolving lipid, the 5-lypoxygenase derivative 15-epi-lipoxin A4 (15-epi-LXA4), which belongs to aspirin-triggered lipoxins. Herein, we propose modifying endothelial activation with simvastatin or benznidazole and evaluate the pathways involved, including induction of 15-epi-LXA4. The effect of 5 μM simvastatin or 20 μM benznidazole upon endothelial activation was assessed in EA.hy926 or HUVEC cells, by E-selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression. 15-epi-LXA4 production and the relationship of both drugs with the NFκB pathway, as measured by IKK-IKB phosphorylation and nuclear migration of p65 protein was also assayed. Both drugs were administered to cell cultures 16 hours before the infection with T. cruzi parasites. Indeed, 5 μM simvastatin as well as 20 μM benznidazole prevented the increase in E-selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in T. cruzi-infected endothelial cells by decreasing the NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, Simvastatin and benznidazole prevent endothelial activation induced by T. cruzi infection, and the effect of simvastatin is mediated by the inhibition of the NFκB pathway by inducing 15-epi-LXA4 production.
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Campos‐Estrada et al. (2015) studied Chagas Disease (in vitro model). Simvastatin and Benznidazole vs. Untreated T. cruzi-infected cells was evaluated on Expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules (E-selectin, ICAM-1, VCAM-1) and NF-κB activation (p=<0.001). Simvastatin and benznidazole prevented endothelial activation induced by T. cruzi infection by decreasing the NF-κB pathway, with simvastatin's effect mediated by 15-epi-lipoxin A4 production.
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