Evaluation of an attenuated Trypanosoma cruzi strain in rats. Analysis of survival, parasitemia and tissue damage.

Infection and tissue damage induced by parasites of an attenuated Trypanosoma cruzi culture strain (TCC) were studied in "I" line of inbred rats. Suckling rats (S), 3-5 day old were inoculated i.p. with 10(6) TCC (S1), 10(7) TCC (S2) and 10(8) TCC (S3). Weaned rats (W), 21-25 day old were inoculated s.c. with 10(6) TCC (W1), 10(7) TCC (W2) and 10(8) TCC (W3). The cultures yielded up to 2% of trypomastigotes. Controls inoculated either i.p. or s.c. with 10(6) blood form trypomastigotes (SC and WC) as well as normal controls (NC) were included. Survival was 100% in S1, S2 and S3, and 0% in SC on day 13 post-infection (p.i.). The latter animals died with acute Chagas disease signs. Survival was 100% in the W groups. In the first 30 days p.i. parasites were detected in S1, S2 and S3 and W1, W2, W3 groups after exhaustive examination. Parasites were easily found in WC and SC until day 13. Xeno-diagnoses were positive (5/5) at 2 months p.i. and negative at 6 months p.i. (W1, W2, W3, 0/23; WC, 0/5). Only cardiac lesions were slightly increased. The frequency of focal chronic myocarditis seemed to be increased in a dose-independent manner (S1, S2, S3, 26%; W1, W2, W3, 46%) but was not significant in comparison with NC, and even was lower than usually found in WC (61.3%). The reduced virulence and pathogenicity suggest that the TCC strain suffered a remarkable attenuation after long term in vitro culture.