Citopatogenicidade de Trichomonas vaginalis às células epiteliais vaginais humanas : possível envolvimento das atividades de NTPDase e ecto-5’-nucleotidase

Abstract

Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan that causes trichomoniasis, a common human urogenital tract infection with relevant health consequences. NTPDase and ecto-5’-nucleotidase activities have already been characterized in T. vaginalis trophozoites. Aiming to investigate the role of these enzymes in trichomonads cytopathogenesis, we evaluated the cytolysis, hemolysis and the profile of extracellular nucleotides hydrolysis rates in different isolates. T. vaginalis isolates presented hemolytic activity and heterogeneity in cytolysis against human vaginal epithelial cells (HVECs) and in extracellular nucleotide hydrolysis profiles. Although no correlation between the parasite ability to exert cytolysis against HVECs and trichomonads ectonucleotidases activities was found, our data suggest that the formation of adenosine through T. vaginalis ecto-5’-nucleotidase may have an important role to decrease the cytolysis injury and consequently, the infection establishment. Levels of cytolysis were correlated with hemolytic activity, suggesting hemolysis and cytolysis as important virulence factors by T. vaginalis.