Bone marrow cell therapy ameliorates and reverses chagasic cardiomyopathy in a mouse model.
Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, which is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major cause of heart failure in Latin America. It is a disease for which effective treatment in its advanced clinical forms is lacking. We have previously shown that bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMC) transplantation is effective in reducing inflammation and fibrosis in the mouse model of Chagas disease. The present study used magnetic resonance imaging to assess changes in the cardiac morphology of infected mice after therapy with BMCs. Serial imaging of the BMC-treated mice revealed regression of the right ventricular dilatation typically observed in the chagasic mouse model.
Goldenberg
Regina C S
RC
Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Jelicks
Linda A
LA
Fortes
Fabio S A
FS
Weiss
Louis M
LM
Rocha
Leonardo L
LL
Zhao
Dazhi
D
Carvalho
Antonio Campos de
AC
Spray
David C
DC
Tanowitz
Herbert B
HB
D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains