In addition to the long-established role in erythropoiesis,
erythropoietin (Epo) has protective functions in a variety of tissues, including the heart. This is the most affected organ in chronic
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Despite seven million people being infected with T. cruzi worldwide, there is no effective treatment preventing the
disease progression to the chronic phase when the pathological involvement of the heart is often observed. Chronic chagasic
cardiomyopathy has a wide variety of manifestations, like
left ventricular systolic dysfunction,
dilated cardiomyopathy, and
heart failure. Since Epo may help maintain cardiac function by reducing myocardial
necrosis,
inflammation, and
fibrosis, this study aimed to evaluate whether the Epo has positive effects on experimental
Chagas disease. For that, we assessed the earlier (acute phase) and also the later (chronic phase) use of Epo in infected C57BL/6 mice. Blood cell count, biochemical parameters, parasitic load, and echocardiography data were evaluated. In addition, histopathological analysis was carried out. Our data showed that Epo had no trypanocide effect nor did it modify the production of
anti-T. cruzi
antibodies. Epo-treated groups exhibited parasitic burden much lower in the heart compared to blood. No pattern of hematological changes was observed combining
infection with treatment with Epo. Chronic Epo administration reduced CK-MB serum activity from d0 to d180, irrespectively of T. cruzi
infection. Likewise, echocardiography and histological results indicate that Epo treatment is more effective in the chronic phase of experimental
Chagas disease. Since treatment is one of the greatest challenges of
Chagas disease,
alternative therapies should be investigated, including Epo combined with
benznidazole.