EVALUATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF A HYPERGLYCEMIC DIET ON TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI INFECTION IN MICE

Chagas disease is caused by the hemoflagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). It is speculated that parasitic diseases, may be related to a greater predisposition to metabolic abnormalities, given that they promote a state of persistent clinical or subclinical inflammation. The hyperglycemic diet is characterized by the consumption of high amounts of carbohydrates and is directly associated with obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Studies linking glycemic alterations to infection have shown a higher frequency of hyperglycemia and diabetes in women with Chagas disease. Nonetheless, no study has evaluated the involvement of a hyperglycemic diet, without inducing diabetes, in the infection. Therefore, a study inducing hyperglycemia during T. cruzi infection could clarify how glycemic alterations influence the immune response and the progression of the infection.