Trypanosoma cruzi infection induced changes in the innervation, structure and function of the murine bladder.
OBJECTIVE
The involvement of the lower urinary tract in chronic Chagas' disease has received little attention. Therefore, we investigated pathology and functional alterations in the bladder of Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice.


METHODS
CD1 mice were infected with 5 x 10 T. cruzi trypomastigotes of the Brazil strain of T. cruzi. At day 100 after infection bladder structure and function were examined by pathological evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging and cystometric studies.


RESULTS
The bladder in infected mice weighed more and were large, dilated, deformed, friable and thin walled compared with control mice. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed these observations. Inflammation, fibrosis and ganglionitis was observed. Cystometric studies revealed that baseline, threshold and micturition pressures were increased in infected mice. Bladder overactivity and decreased bladder compliance were also noted in infected mice. There were no detectable differences in bladder capacity, micturition volume or residual volume between infected and uninfected mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Bladder abnormalities may be a more common clinical sequelae of T. cruzi infection than previously appreciated.
Boczko
Judd
J
Department of Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Hospital Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA.
Tar
Moses
M
Melman
Arnold
A
Jelicks
Linda A
LA
Wittner
Murray
M
Factor
Stephen M
SM
Zhao
Dazhi
D
Hafron
Jason
J
Weiss
Louis M
LM
Tanowitz
Herbert B
HB
Christ
George J
GJ
D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000294:innervation* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*