Figure 5
From: Venom alkaloids against Chagas disease parasite: search for effective therapies
Transmission electron microscopy of Trypanossoma cruzi epimastigotes incubated in the absence or presence of solenopsins. Epimastigotes of the CL-Brener strain were incubated for 48 h in BHI–FCS medium in the absence (A, B) or presence of 0.3 µM solenopsins (C–F). The parasites were processed and observed by transmission electron microscopy as described in M&M. (A, B) Control untreated parasites showing the nucleus (n), kinetoplast (k), reservosomes (r), mitochondrion (m) flagellum (f) and tubular structures with vesicles which presumably correspond to the spongiome (sg) surrounding a space that can be part of the contractile vacuole (cv) bladder. (C–F) Epimastigotes after treatment with solenopsins showed intense vacuolization of the cytoplasm (*) and an eventual hyperthrophic contractile vacuole (cv) but no mitochondrion swelling (m). Cells also presented vacuolar structures displaying complex double membrane invaginations or vesicles that resemble autophagosomal structures (white arrow heads). Bars = 0.5 µm.
