PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF TRYPANOSOMA-RANGELI AGAINST INFECTIONS WITH A HIGHLY VIRULENT-STRAIN OF TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI

We investigated the protective effect of Trypanosoma rangeli against i nfection with Trypanosoma cruzi in animal models of various ages and w ith different doses of inoculum. The age oi the mice and the dose of p arasites determined the course of the infection. When T. cruzi was ino culated into mice after challenge with T. rangeli, parasitaemia was mo re controlled, mortality decreased and histopathology showed lower inf lammatory infiltration and pseudocysts. This study proposes a new muri ne model of the protective effect of recombinant proteins of T. rangel i for possible application in the vaccines field.