Quantitative analysis of cardiac lesions in chronic canine chagasic cardiomyopathy
Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. Säo Paulo
;
44(5): 273-278, Oct. 2002. ilus, tab, graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-324500
RESUMO
Lesions observed in chronic chagasic cardiopathy frequently produce electrocardiographic alterations and affect cardiac function. Through a computerized morphometrical analysis we quantified the areas occupied by cardiac muscle, connective and adipose tissues in the right atrium of dogs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. All of the infected dogs showed chronic myocarditis with variable reduction levels of cardiac muscle, fibrosis and adipose tissue replacement. In the atrial myocardium of dogs infected with Be78 and Be62 cardiac muscle represented 34 and 50 percent, fibrosis 28 and 32 percent and adipose tissue 38 and 18 percent, respectively. The fibrosis observed was both diffuse and focal and mostly intrafascicular, either partially or completely interrupting the path of muscle bundles. Such histological alterations probably contributed to the appearance of electrocardiographic disturbances verified in 10 out 11 dogs which are also common in human chronic chagasic cardiopathy. Fibrosis was the most important microscopic occurrence found since it produces rearrangements of collagen fibers in relation to myocardiocytes which causes changes in anatomical physiognomy and mechanical behavior of the myocardium. These abnormalities can contribute to the appearance of cardiac malfunction, arrythmias and congestive cardiac insufficiency as observed in two of the analyzed dogs. Strain Be78 caused destruction of atrial cardiac muscle higher than that induced by strain Be62
Full text:
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Trypanosoma congolense
/
Chagas Cardiomyopathy
/
Myocarditis
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Journal:
Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. Säo Paulo
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
Year:
2002
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais/BR
/
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto/BR
/
Universidade do Vale do Rio Doce/BR
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