Portal veins of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni exhibit an increased reactivity to 5-Hydroxytryptamine
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
93(supl.1): 153-5, Oct. 1998. tab, graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-218656
RESUMO
In chronic severe infection with Schistosoma mansoni, portal hypertension and related vascular alterations usually develop as a consequence of granolomatous response to eggs. In order to investigate a putative direct effect of worms on the reactivity of their host portal vein, mice infected only with male worms were used in the present study. An higher reactivity to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) characterized by an increase in the maximal contraction and sensitivity was observed in portal vein from infected mice compared to healthy mice. Blockade of NO-synthase with l-NAME induced a small increase in 5-HT potency in portal vein from non-infected mice without changing the amplitude of the contractions, whereas it did not alter the reactivity of veins from infected mice. The present results show that unisexual infection of mice with male S. mansoni increased the reactivity of the portal vein to 5-HT which seems to be partially related to an alteration in the nitric oxide release by endothelium.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Portal Vein
/
Schistosoma mansoni
/
Serotonin
/
Endothelium
/
Mice
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
1998
Type:
Article
/
Congress and conference
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