Redução do número de taquizoítos de Neospora caninum em culturas de células da glia de ratos infectados in vitro, e tratados com fração do mel de abelha Tetragonisca angustula

Abstract

Neospora caninum is a obligate intracellular parasite belonging to the apicomplexa phylum. This is the protozoan that causes neosporosis, a disease that generates great economic losses, mainly in the cattle herd due to its ability to cause abortions in this species. In dogs, it can lead to neuromuscular changes and reproductive problems, additionally, in horses can cause neonatal diseases. There is no effective treatment for neosporosis and the lack of therapy makes it necessary to adopt prophylactic control measures against the agent. Given the absence of effective treatment for neosporosis, it is important to carry out research in association with studies aimed at testing new therapeutic substances to combat this protozoan. Honey is a natural product of bees, which in addition to its nutritional properties, also have pharmacological properties that are popularly known and of interest in scientific research due to its antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiparasitic and antiinflammatory capabilities. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the fraction 5 (Fr5) of Tetragonisca angustula honey in the concentration (12.5µl / mL) in rat glia cells culture against N. caninum infection. Primary glial cell cultures were obtained from the cerebral cortex of newborn Wistar rats. The cells were treated for 24 and 72 hours and then infected with N. caninum for 72 hours. Cell viability was assessed by dehydrogenase activity using MTT assay. The immune response profile was performed by the nitric oxide (NO) dosage test. To evaluate the parasite proliferation, after treatment and infection, tachyzoites were counted in different cultures. Treatment with Fr5 (12.5µl / mL) promoted increased cell viability when treated for 24 hours, while in 72 hours treatment Fr5 presented cytotoxicity to cells, with decreased mitochondrial metabolism in cultures treated with Fr5 alone. In previous treatment of N.caninum-infected cultures was observed reduction on NO production in different treatments. While in infected cultures, Fr5 (12.5µl / mL) decreased parasite proliferation. The data obtained suggest that Fr5 (12.5µl / mL) acts on the reduction of tachyzoites of N. caninum in glial cell cultures of in vitro infected newborn Wistar rats.