Quantitative Laser Biospeckle Method for the Evaluation of the Activity of Trypanosoma cruzi Using VDRL Plates and Digital Analysis

In this paper we report a quantitative laser Biospeckle method using VDRL plates to monitor the activity of Trypanosoma cruzi and the calibration conditions including three image processing algorithms and three programs (ImageJ and two programs designed in this work). Benznidazole was used as a test drug. Variable volume (constant density) and variable density (constant volume) were used for the quantitative evaluation of parasite activity in calibrated wells of the VDRL plate. The desiccation process within the well was monitored as a function of volume and of the activity of the Biospeckle pattern of the parasites as well as the quantitative effect of the surface parasite quantity (proportion of the object’s plane). A statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA, Tukey post hoc and Descriptive Statistics using R and R Commander. Conditions of volume (100μl) and parasite density (2-4x104 parasites/well, in exponential growth phase), assay time (up to 204min), frame number (11 frames), algorithm and program (RCommander/SAGA) for image processing were selected to test the effect of variable concentrations of benznidazole (0.0195 to 20μg/mL / 0.075 to 76.8μM) at various times (1, 61, 128 and 204min) on the activity of the Biospeckle pattern. The flat wells of the VDRL plate were found to be suitable for the quantitative calibration of the activity of Trypanosoma cruzi using the appropriate algorithm and program. Under these conditions, benznidazole produces at 1min an instantaneous effect on the activity of the Biospeckle pattern of T. cruzi, which remains with a similar profile up to 1 hour. A second effect which is dependent on concentrations above 1.25μg/mL and is statistically different from the effect at lower concentrations causes a decrease in the activity of the Biospeckle pattern. This effect is better detected after 1 hour of drug action. This behavior may be explained by an instantaneous effect on a membrane protein of Trypanosoma cruzi that could mediate the translocation of benznidazole. At longer times the effect may possibly be explained by the required transformation of the pro-drug into the active drug.Author Summary: Biospeckle refers to a pattern that occurs when a laser beam illuminates a dynamic surface, such as a liquid that contains microorganisms. The movement or the roughness of its surface causes the wave fronts to interfere and produce a pattern of moving dots that resemble boiling water. This research describes the application of Biospeckle to Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The purpose was to observe the movement of the Biospeckle dots and to detect differences depending on the presence of the parasite, the quantity of the parasite and the conditions of the parasites when they are affected by a drug. We designed a method using VDRL plates where the sample has a relatively small volume and is flat shaped, a laser, a camera and a lens. The Biospeckle pattern is recorded in a video in a computer and shows the Biospeckle dots which move rapidly as the concentration of parasites increases and less rapidly as the concentration decreases or as the parasites are affected by a drug such as benznidazole. We designed algorithms which take the difference between successive frames and expressed them in a program in Java, in a script in R Commander and SAGA and in ImageJ. Thus we obtained a quantitative description of the movement of T. cruzi.