An intense myocarditis is frequently found in the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Despite the cardiac damage, infected individuals may remain asymptomatic for decades. Thus, T. cruzi may directly prevent cardiomyocytes death to keep heart destruction in check. Recently, it has been shown that Schwann cells invasion by T. cruzi, their prime target in the peripheral nervous system, suppressed host-cell apoptosis caused by growth factor deprivation. Likewise, the trans-sialidase of T. cruzi reproduced this antiapoptotic activity of the parasite. In this study we have investigated the effect of cruzipain, another important T. cruzi antigen, on survival and cell death of neonatal BALB/c mouse cardiomyocyte cultures. We have found that cruzipain as well as T. cruzi infection, promoted survival of cardiomyocytes cultured under serum deprivation. The antiapoptotic effect was mediated by Bcl-2 expression but not by Bcl-xL expression. Since arginase activity is involved in cell differentiation and wound healing in most cell types and it favors parasite growth within the cell, we have further investigated the effect of cruzipain on the regulation of L-arginine metabolic pathways. Our results have revealed that cruzipain enhanced arginase activity and the expression of arginase-2 isoform, but failed to induce nitric oxide synthase activity. In addition, the inhibition of arginase activity by N^G-hydroxy-L-arginine (NOHA), abrogated the antiapoptotic action of cruzipain. The results demonstrate that cruzipain may act as a survival factor for cardiomyocytes since it rescued them from apoptosis and stimulated arginase-2.