Pivotal Role of Interleukin-12 and Interferon-γ Axis in Controlling Tissue Parasitism and Inflammation in the Heart and Central Nervous System during Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

The role of cytokines in the control of tissue parasitism and pathogenesis of experimental Chagas’ disease was investigated. Wild-type and different cytokine as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) knockout mice were infected with the Colombian strain of Trypanosoma cruzi, and the kinetics of tissue parasitism, inflammatory reaction, parasitemia, and mortality were determined. We demonstrate the pivotal role of the interleukin...