Avaliação morfométrica de lesões granulomatosas pulmonares em camundongos experimentalmente infectados com Paracoccidioides Brasiliensis e tratados com nanopartículas de Itraconazol por via inalatória

Abstract

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a disease caused by the thermodimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasilienses. It is characterized by a granulomatous inflammation that mainly affects the lung and the treatment consists of the prolonged use of oral or intravenous antifungal agents, which cause many side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the number and area of granulomas in the lungs of Swiss mice experimentally infected with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and treated with inhaled itraconazole nanoparticles, as one of the items to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment. Twenty-eight Swiss mice between 8 and 12 weeks of age were used. The animals were acclimated to laboratory conditions for two weeks before the start of the experiment. For the infection procedure, the animals were anesthetized intraperitoneally with Ketamine 120 mg/kg and Xylazine 8 mg/kg and then infected with 50 µL of the inoculum containing 5 x 106 cells/mL of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. They were then divided into four groups: Group 1 – uninfected and untreated, Group 2- infected and untreated, Group 3 – infected and treated orally, and Group 4 – infected and treated by inhalation. To assess the effects of the proposed therapy, a histopathological analysis of the lung tissue was performed to determine the quantity and area of granulomas. The number of granulomas in the lung tissue of animals infected and treated with itraconazole by inhalation showed a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in relation to the other groups. Regarding the area of these granulomas, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. The inhaled administration of itraconazole nanoparticles is a promising therapeutic proposal for the treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis.