Antioxidants improve cardiac mechanical function in Sylvio X10/4 clone chronically infected animals.

Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with Sylvio X10/4 clone and treated with ROS-scavenger PBN from the beginning and throughout infection, improving heart mechanical function [61]. Infected C57BL/6 mice were treated with the antioxidants SRT1720 and resveratrol, resulting in improved heart mechanical function [62]. Infected C57BL/6-MnSOD overexpressing transgenic mice presented healthier mechanical heart function than wild-type mice at the chronic stage of infection [77, 79]. The effects of the antioxidant treatment or genetic modification on ROS, oxidative damage, parasitism, inflammatory infiltrates, and fibrosis are shown for each condition, together with the exact timing of infection and treatment. CO, cardiac output; EF, left ventricle ejection fraction; PBN, phenyl-α-tert-butyl; ROS, reactive oxygen species; Mn-SOD, manganese superoxide dismutase.