Trypanosoma cruzi (STRAIN CL) CAUSES NEURONAL LOSS IN RATS´ MYO-ENTERIC PLEXUS OF THE COLON

  • Larissa Carla Lauer Schneider Universidade Estadual de Maringá
  • Silvana Marques de Araújo Universidade Estadual de Maringá
  • Nilza Cristinia Buttow Universidade Estadual de Maringá
Keywords: Chagas´s disease, Myo-enteric plexus, Strain CL, Trypanosoma cruzi.

Abstract

The parasite protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas´s disease. Infection comprises the acute and chronic type. Mortality in the former is more frequent and the organism that survives passes to the undetermined chronic phase. T. gondii within the gastrointestinal tract parasites the intramural nervous system and causes mega-esophagus and mega-colon. No reports in the literature relate neuronal loss of the myo-enteric plexus with infection by strain CL of T. cruzi. Current analysis verifies morphoquantitative alterations in the myo-enteric plexus in rats´ distal colon infected with strain CL during the acute and chronic phase of the disease. Twenty rats were divided into four groups: infected with strain CL of T. cruzi during 7 days (Group IA) and its control (Group CA), killed after seven days from the start of the experiment; another infected group (IC), killed after 30 days and its control (CC). Neuronal density and morphometry of the areas of cell bodies of neurons were estimated by Giemsa technique. Quantitative analysis showed a significant decrease in the number of neurons in infected groups IA and IC. In the case of the neuronal profile, atrophy of neurons of group IC was reported when compared to control. Strain CL of T. cruzi causes a de-nerving of the myo-enteric plexus of the colon without causing a neuronal hypertrophy during the thirty days of experimental period.

Author Biographies

Larissa Carla Lauer Schneider, Universidade Estadual de Maringá
Mestre em Ciências Biológicas Doutoranda em Ciências Biológicas Professora de Embriologia e Histologia - Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas/UEM
Silvana Marques de Araújo, Universidade Estadual de Maringá
Professora de Parasitologia Departamento de Análises Clínicas/UEM
Nilza Cristinia Buttow, Universidade Estadual de Maringá
Professora de Embriologia e Histologia Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas/UEM
Published
2016-10-07
Section
Artigos Originais