title: Blood viscosity changes in experimentally Trypanosoma cruzi-infected rats.
abstract: Microcirculatory alterations would explain focal lesions found in Chagas' cardiomyopathy. Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) infection induces host blood properties modifications and defensive responses capable of producing blood hyperviscosity, an ischemic risk factor able to affect microvascular blood flow. We studied whole blood viscosity (eta(b)) and plasmatic and cellular factors influencing it in rats, 7 and 14 days after experimental infection with T. cruzi. Increased plasma viscosity (eta(p)) was found in infected versus control rats and it was correlated with high blood parasite levels at 7 days and enhanced gamma-globulin fraction concentration at 14 days. The hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and eta(b) were higher in 14 days infected rats vs. 7 days and control animals. Also, electron microscopy observation showed morphological changes in red blood cells (RBC) at 7 and 14 days post-infection, with increased proportion of echinocyte and stomatocyte shapes transformation. In our rat model of Chagas' disease, BPL, increased plasmatic protein concentration, enhanced MCV and RBC shapes transformation would determine blood hyperviscosity, cause of microvascular blood flow abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra Fisiología Humana, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe 3100, 2000 Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Berra
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piaggio
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Revelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luquita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D048430:Cell Shape; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006400:Hematocrit; D007511:Ischemia; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000378:metabolism*; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005719:gamma-Globulins