Research Article

Phenothiazinium Dyes Are Active against Trypanosoma cruzi In Vitro

Figure 4

Mitochondrial activity of T. cruzi cultures treated with phenothiazinium dyes. T. cruzi cultures were incubated with trypsin and treated with 4 × IC50 MB, NMB, TBO, DMMB, BZ, and MN for 2 hours, 37°C, and 5% CO2. The cultures were washed with PBS and incubated with 5 μM JC-1 for 15 minutes in the dark. The samples were analyzed in a flow cytometer and the positive red fluorescent cells (PE+ cells) determined. The control was composed of noninfected LLCMK2 cells processed under the same conditions. The percentage of positive red fluorescent cells (% PE+ cells) was calculated in relation to the nontreated control. (a) Positive red fluorescent cells from nontreated LLCMK2 cells and trypomastigotes. (b) Percentage of positive red fluorescent cells from LLCMK2 cells (infected and noninfected) and trypomastigotes treated with phenothiazinium dyes, BZ, and MN.

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