Dynamics of the Trypanosoma cruzi infection in adipose tissue: Assessing gene expression of PNPLA2, FASN, and ACAT1 under Benzonidazole treatment and indirect mononuclear immune cells interaction

Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasite with a high capacity to adapt to the host. Animal models have already demonstrated that the tropism of this parasite occurs not only in cardiac/digestive tissues but also in adipose tissue (AT). That said, the consequences of T. cruzi infection for AT and the implications of treatment with Benzonidazole in this tissue are under discussion. Here, we tested the hypothesis that T. cruzi infection in adipose tissue upon treatment with Benzonidazole (Bz) and the interaction of mononuclear immune cells (PBMC) influences the relative expression of ACAT1, FASN, and PNPLA2 genes. Thus, stem cells derived from adipose tissue (ADSC) after adipogenic differentiation were indirectly cultivated with PBMC after infection with the T. cruzi Y strain and treatment with Bz. We use the TcSAT-IAM system and RT-qPCR to evaluate the parasite load and the relative quantification (ΔCt) of the ACAT1, FASN, and PNPLA2 genes. Our results demonstrate that treatment with Bz did not reduce adipocyte infection in the presence (p-value: 0.5796) or absence (p-value: 0.1854) of cultivation with PBMC. In addition, even though there is no statistical difference when compared to the control group (AT), T. cruzi induces the FASN expression (Rq: 14.00). However, treatment with Bz in AT suggests the increases of PNPLA2 expression levels (Rq: 12.58), even in the absence of T. cruzi infection. During indirect cultivation with PBMC, T. cruzi smooths the expression of PNPLA2 (Rq: 0.824) and instigates the expression of ACAT1 (Rq: 1.632) and FASN (Rq: 1.394). Furthermore, the treatment with Bz during infection induces PNPLA2 expression (Rq: 1.871), maintaining FASN expression levels (Rq: 1.334). Given this, our results indicate that treatment with Benzonidazole did not decrease T. cruzi infection in adipose tissue. However, treating the adipocyte cells with Bz during the interaction with PBMC cells influences the lipid pathways scenario, inducing lipolytic metabolism through the expression of PNPLA2.