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Drug-resistant epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi and persistence of this phenotype after differentiation into amastigotes.

In vitro benznidazole resistance was induced in cloned T. cruzi epimastigotes using a continuous drug pressure protocol. Stocks were selected according to their previous genetic characterization by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. All the resistant clones were able to grow in long term cultivation in the presence of at least 50 microM benznidazole, which is the drug plasma level during chemotherapy in man. The highest level of resistance achieved was 220 microM. After differentiation of the epimastigote into the amastigote forms, the drug-resistance level was not affected. In both, the resistant epimastigotes and the resistant amastigotes, growth curves exhibited a lower growth rate than the sensitive counterparts without affecting the viability of the parasites. These data could be significant in basic research, to study the drug-resistance phenotype on relevant chemoresistant clones of T. cruzi, and to follow this phenotype after in vivo cycles.