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Myocardial scars correlate with eletrocardiographic changes in chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection for dogs treated with Benznidazole
Author(s) -
Caldas Ivo Santana,
da Matta Guedes Paulo Marcos,
dos Santos Fabiane Matos,
de Figueiredo Diniz Lívia,
Martins Tassiane Assíria Fontes,
da Silva do Nascimento Alvaro Fernando,
Azevedo Maira Araújo,
de Lima Wanderson Geraldo,
Neto Raimundo Marques Nascimento,
Torres Rosália Morais,
Talvani André,
Bahia Maria Terezinha
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/tmi.12002
Subject(s) - benznidazole , trypanosoma cruzi , medicine , scars , fibrosis , myocarditis , myocardial fibrosis , chagas disease , gastroenterology , pathology , parasite hosting , world wide web , computer science
Abstract Objectives The cardiac form of Chagas disease is evidenced by a progressive cardiac inflammation that leads to myocarditis, fibrosis and electrocardiographic (ECG) conduction abnormalities. Considering these characteristics, the aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the early ECG changes in dogs that were experimentally inoculated with Benznidazole (Bz)‐susceptibly (Berenice‐78) and Bz‐resistant (VL‐10, and AAS) Trypanosoma cruzi strains and, later, evaluate the efficacy of Bz treatment for preventing these ECG alterations. Methods Electrocardiographic changes of treated and untreated animals were prospectively evaluated for up to 270 days after infection, at which point collagen (right atrium) quantification was performed. Results All infected dogs had a high intensity of heart fibrosis (4616.00 ± 1715.82 collagen/74931 μm 2 in dogs infected with Berenice‐78 strain, 5839.2 ± 1423.49 collagen/74931 μm 2 in infected by AAS and 6294.40 ± 896.04 collagen/74931 μm 2 in animals infected with VL‐10 strain), while 78.57% of all infected dogs showed ECG alterations. Bz Therapy reduced or prevented fibrosis in Bz‐susceptible Berenice‐78 (2813.00 ± 607.13 collagen/74931 μm 2 ) and Bz‐resistant AAS strains (4024 ± 1272.44 collagen/74931 μm 2 ), coincident with only 10% de ECG alterations at 270 days. However, in those animals infected with a Bz‐resistant VL‐10 strain, specific treatment did not alter collagen deposition (6749.5 ± 1596.35 collagen/74931 μm 2 ) and there was first atrioventricular block and chamber overload at 120 and 270 days after infection, with 75% abnormal ECG exams. Conclusions These findings indicate that an effective antiparasitic treatment in the early stage of Chagas disease can lead to a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of the parasite‐induced cardiac disease, even if parasites are not completely eliminated.