Key result
Hamsters experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi showed significant ultrastructural myocardiocyte changes, including enlarged sarcomeres and reduced myofibril thickness compared to controls.
The hamster model of chronic Chagas disease demonstrates ultrastructural myocardial changes that correlate with light microscopy findings in human Chagas disease, validating its use for pathology studies.
Does not alter clinical management of Chagas disease; extends validation of hamster model for pathology studies.
The aim of this work was the study of ultrastructural morphologic and morphometric changes in myocardiocytes from chronic chagasic hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), comparatively with changes described in other animal models and in human Chagas disease. Four chagasic animals and three nonchagasic controls were studied. Mitochondria changes were the most conspicuous findings, varying from swelling to complete organelle destruction. Noteworthy, T-tubules appeared tortuous and interrupted at the Z-line level and there was dehiscence in intercalated disks, especially in adherens junctions;in addition, the myofibrils were separated from each other by intracellular edema, with mild to accentuated focal lyses. In morphometric analysis, both the numeric density and the area of mitochondria from chagasic and normal control animals were statistically similar; however, the infected hamsters showed statistically significant enlarged sarcomeres and reduced myofibril thickness. Based on the morphologic and morphometric characteristics observed in these experimental animals, one may conclude that heart changes described at light microscopy in human Chagas disease can have a substrate on electron microscopy. Moreover, the hamster also constitutes a useful animal model to pathology studies in Chagas disease on electron microscopy.
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Colmanetti et al. (2005) studied Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi infection) (n=7). Experimental infection with Trypanosoma cruzi vs. Nonchagasic controls was evaluated on Ultrastructural morphologic and morphometric changes in myocardiocytes. Hamsters experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi showed significant ultrastructural myocardiocyte changes, including enlarged sarcomeres and reduced myofibril thickness compared to controls.
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