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Trypanosoma cruzi and myoid cells from seminiferous tubules: interaction and relation with fibrous components of extracellular matrix in experimental Chagas’ disease
Author(s) -
Carvalho Luiz Otávio Pereira,
AbreuSilva Ana Lucia,
Hardoim Daiana de Jesús,
Tedesco Roberto Carlos,
Mendes Verônica Gonçalves,
Da Costa Sylvio Celso Gonçalves,
Calabrese Kátia da Silva
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international journal of experimental pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.671
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1365-2613
pISSN - 0959-9673
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2613.2008.00592.x
Subject(s) - trypanosoma cruzi , chagas disease , biology , sexual transmission , lamina propria , seminiferous tubule , basal lamina , lumen (anatomy) , pathology , immunology , andrology , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , parasite hosting , medicine , endocrinology , epithelium , spermatogenesis , ultrastructure , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , world wide web , computer science , genetics , microbicide , sertoli cell
Summary The main transmission route of Trypanosoma cruzi is by triatomine bugs. However, T. cruzi is also transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplantation, ingestion of contaminated food or fluids, or is congenital. Sexual transmission, although suggested since the discovery of Chagas’ disease, has remained unproven. Sexual transmission would require T. cruzi to be located at the testes and ovaries. Here we investigated whether T. cruzi is present in the gonads of mice infected with 10 4 T. cruzi trypomastigotes from the CL strain. Fourteen days after experimental infection, histopathological examination showed alterations in the extracellular matrix of the lamina propria of the seminiferous tubules. Furthermore, amastigotes were present in seminiferous tubules, within myoid cells, and in the adjacencies of the basal compartment. These results indicate that T. cruzi is able to reach seminiferous tubule lumen, thus suggesting that Chagas’ disease could potentially be transmitted through sexual intercourse. Complementary studies are required to demonstrate that Chagas’ disease can be transmitted by coitus.