Effects of experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection on the cardiac and pancreatic morphology and function in Wistar rats

• Ano de defesa: 2012
• Autor(a) principal: Novaes, Rômulo Dias
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Viçosa
• Palavras-chave em Português: Chagas, Doença de; Coração - Histopatologia; Coração; Morfologia; Miocárdio - Doenças - Tratamento; Exercícios físicos - Aspectos fisiológicos; Rato como animal de laboratório; Pâncreas; Pâncreas - Doenças; Ciências Biológicas
• Link de acesso: http://www.locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/7150

Trypanosoma cruzi, an intracellular protozoan parasite, is the causative agent of Chagas’ disease, which impair several organs, mainly the heart. In this disease, changes in cardiomyocytes biomechanics and glucose metabolism at rest and during exercise have been rarely reported. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of experimental T. cruzi infection on the cardiac and pancreatic morphophysiology in rats Wistar. The relationship between pancreatic function and exercise tolerance in these animals it was additionally analyzed. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into an uninfected (n=14) and an infected group (n=14). After nine weeks of inoculation with trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi, animals were subjected to an incremental running protocol to evaluate the physical performance. Then, hearts and pancreases were removed for histopathological, stereological and biochemical analysis. Cardiomyocytes were isolated by enzymatic dispersion for analysis of biomechanical properties. The results showed that T. cruzi infection induced morphological changes in the heart and pancreas, which were evidenced by diffuse inflammatory foci, atrophy and cell death, necrosis and tissue fibrosis. Infected animals presented increased oxidation of lipids and proteins in the heart and pancreas, respectively. These animals showed changes in glucose kinetics at rest and during exercise, reduced exercise tolerance and biomechanical dysfunction in both components of contraction and relaxation of cardiomyocytes. There was no change in the number of β cells in the pancreatic islets or modification in the proportion of minerals in the cardiac tissue from infected animals. Thus, the results indicated that T. cruzi infection is able to induce pathological changes in the cardiac and pancreatic structure and function, conducing to dysfunctions in cardiomyocytes biomechanics and glucose metabolism, events potentially related to the reduced exercise tolerance in rats.