Key result
In a hamster model of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, segments with wall motion abnormalities had significantly greater fibrosis (9.3% vs 7.0%) and inflammation compared to normal segments (P<0.0001).
Absolute Event Rate: 9.3% vs 7%
p-value: p=<0.0001
In a hamster model of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, segmental wall motion abnormalities with preserved global systolic function are frequent and correlate more strongly with myocardial inflammation than fibrosis.
Hamster Chagas model links WMA to histopathology; leaves open human translation and clinical validation.
BACKGROUND: Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy in humans is characterized by segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (WMA), mainly in the early stages of disease. This study aimed at investigating the detection of WMA and its correlation with the underlying histopathological changes in a chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy model in hamsters. METHODS AND RESULTS: Female Syrian hamsters (n=34) infected with 3.5×10(4) or 10(5) blood trypomastigote Trypanosoma cruzi (Y strain) forms and an uninfected control group (n=7) were investigated. After 6 or 10 months after the infection, the animals were submitted to in vivo evaluation of global and segmental left ventricular systolic function by echocardiography, followed by euthanasia and histological analysis for quantitative assessment of fibrosis and inflammation with tissue sampling in locations coinciding with the left ventricular wall segmentation employed at the in vivo echocardiographic evaluation. Ten of the 34 infected animals (29%) showed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (<73%). Left ventricular ejection fraction was more negatively correlated with the intensity of inflammation (r=-0.63; P<0.0001) than with the extent of fibrosis (r=-0.36; P=0.036). Among the 24 animals with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (82.9±5.5%), 8 (33%) showed segmental WMA predominating in the apical, inferior, and posterolateral segments. The segments exhibiting WMA, in comparison to those with normal wall motion, showed a greater extent of fibrosis (9.3±5.7% and 7±6.3%, P<0.0001) and an even greater intensity of inflammation (218.0±111.6 and 124.5±84.8 nuclei/mm², P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Isolated WMA with preserved global systolic left ventricular function is frequently found in Syrian hamsters with experimental chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy whose underlying histopathological features are mainly inflammatory.
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Oliveira et al. (2016) studied Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (n=41). Trypanosoma cruzi infection vs. Uninfected control group was evaluated on Extent of fibrosis in segments exhibiting wall motion abnormalities compared to normal wall motion (p=<0.0001). In a hamster model of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, segments with wall motion abnormalities had significantly greater fibrosis (9.3% vs 7.0%) and inflammation compared to normal segments (P<0.0001).
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